


Blind and Insidious

by FixedWithBrokenParts



Category: Castlevania (Cartoon), 悪魔城ドラキュラ | Castlevania Series
Genre: AU, Eventual Smut, Everyone's alive (LOOKING AT YOU LISA), Everyone's happy (LOOKING AT YOU DRAC), F/M, It's gonna take some time but everyones going to be happy, Its 1824 and you're a horrible goose, Jane Austin Sorta-ish, M/M, Polyamory, Pride and Prejudice but vampires i guess. and gay, Slow Burn, Timeline is fricked, crackfic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:48:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 32,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23368717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FixedWithBrokenParts/pseuds/FixedWithBrokenParts
Summary: Adrian didn't ask for a party, and his parent's ask didn't for ALL of Wallachia to show up. But they're here now, and in the midst of planning, entertaining, and uncovering a possible conspiracy against his life, Alucard meets two people who make the worst birthday of his life a little bit better.
Relationships: Alucard | Adrian Tepes | Arikado Genya/Sypha Belnades, Alucard | Adrian Tepes | Arikado Genya/Trevor Belmont/Sypha Belnades, Trevor Belmont/Sypha Belnades
Comments: 21
Kudos: 44





	1. Lord Tepes

**Author's Note:**

> O...K.....so  
> Do I understand why I'm the most motivated to write in years? no  
> is it because I can't leave my house-perhaps  
> Did a Jane Austin inspired OT3 grab me by the proverbial balls and drag me in? Yes.  
> Or in other words I was really infatuated with idea of a slow burn with these three so buckle up because it's 1824 and this carriage ride is about get wild.

If one thing could be said of the castle, it would be its habit of drawing a crowd.

Never were the halls empty, never were the gardens silent. It was quite the home for the waywards. Any lost soul could find a room and a teacher in Dracula's castle, along with some special food accommodations if need be (typically the need was be). So Adrian had never grown up feeling alone in the castle, people and creatures came and went. They were either there to teach or be taught, and he couldn't help but absorb it all like a sponge. Every detail the travelers provided, any foreign knowledge was his bread and butter. He'd sit and listen in the studies when he was young though he didn't understand most of what was said. It was all so enriching to him.

That being said, there was always time for him to seclude. He took after his father in that respect, occasionally there could just be too much going on and Adrian would retreat to his own rooms. Mainly his studio in one of the upper towers, surrounded by tinted glass to keep his pale skin from frying directly, and he'd paint for hours. Once and a while, days. He'd paint landscapes from the windows, or have travelers sit and pose for him. They'd all oblige to the Prince's son, for what an honor it was to have a portrait hanging in the wings of the Tepes estate.

The announcement of the birthday celebration for him sent waves through the community, human and preternatural alike. It didn't really please him all that much, but his parents were advised that they must 'keep up with the times' and introduce their son officially into society. It's what respectable people in society did, yet it was not quite the nature of his parents to respect traditions all that much. It's not like his father was the most modern man in the world, in fact one might call the centuries old creature antiquated at best. None the less, with the celebrations on their way, the guests had already begun to flood.

The preliminary dinner before his birthday was held in the evening, leaving Adrian one last day to wander aimlessly before propriety was to be adopted. People, so many people, were rushing through the castle to get everything ready. Every guest quarters were to be set up, sometimes to very specific accommodation. Every bloody bed was going to be filled, it made Adrian shiver. He knew for sure it was about to get as hectic as he had ever seen in his lifetime.

"Master Adrian," said a maid with the biggest smile. She'd be around for a couple of years, Whitney had the best mood of anyone even during the rushes. "Its'a goodmornin' to you. How's it comin' along today?"

He smiled back, "Little but full in here but nothing some fresh air won't help. And yourself?"

She dismissed him with a wave, "Thankful I got a goodnight's rest, its going to be quite the commotion for a while."

His shoulders fell, but he tried not to let his upset show, "Yes. It is, isn't it."

He didn't ask for a party. A ball. Anything. Every other birthday had been celebrated with his parents and their regular staff. His family. And now every vampire and lord in Wallachia was here to see him. It was horrific almost. He took himself down to the commons floor of the castle, stained glass making every hall a work of art, and every hall adorned with too many people. He wondered briefly how his father was holding up, and just as the thought came to him, the devil himself appeared.

"Morning father, looking quite pale today."

The taller man grumbled, circles beneath his eyes, "If I have to approve the acquisition of one more bloody food import I may snap. These vampires cannot stand our own supplies, spoiled. They're like pandas and I'm very close to burning their bamboo."

Adrian blinked.

His father sighed, rubbing his temples, "Forgive me, I loath aristocracy. How are you today, my boy?"

"Similarly to yourself. Have you seen Hector today?"

His father grumbled in thought, "Perhaps in the stables? Cannot be sure, your mother is even lost on me. After this I'm never inviting a soul here again."

Adrian sighed, "I happily agree." So he made his way to the stables, hoping to find his friend. The young man had come here to study veterinary work, and their similar age had quickly made them companions on the estate. Adrian took the many sheltered pathways towards their stables, which were quickly filling up as people had begun arriving three days prior. His friend was in fact tending to a horse with ruby red eyes and an unearthly sheen to its coat, perhaps one of the generals'.

"Hector," Adrian mused, "Master keeping you busy?"

The roll of his eyes answered enough, "There's definitely a lack of downtime for sure. I'm sure it's all sorts of fun for your parents."

Adrian hummed, leaning with his arms crossed against a support post. "I've never seen my mother this agitated by humans, almost amusing. Any possibility you'll have an hour or two off working?"

The man laughed, "If you can convince my teacher then perhaps, right now he's busy making sure all the cuddly little night things your guests have brought aren't infectious."

That made the blond sigh, "I just fear I won't have a moment to myself for the next week. Apparently a Speaker train is coming. Can you believe that? What do they care about high society? You'd think it would be too frivolous to them."

Hector continued to brush the demonic horse as if it was all well and good, "Maybe they'll want to be privy to the event of a millennia. Vlad Dracula's only heir coming of age, further merging the humans and the creatures of the night? Perhaps there here just for the story."

It almost made him laugh, "Yes they will want firsthand accounts of watching the Prince of Darkness snap the neck of the next vampire lord that demands a foreign blood type."

The young vet laughed, "Now I'd love to be there for that."

"You are coming to the dinners and parties, I'll give you whatever pass that i have to, propriety is not keeping you from suffering along my side."

The horse whined, snorting smoke and shuffling around, Hector still casually handling the reins. The only other human he knew so comfortable in dark magick's presence was his mother. He supposed that it made sense when humanity deems you a witch and a Satanist that it's not so hard to understand the underside of the world. Adrian knew that he could definitely understand a distaste towards global humanity. It didn't stop him from finding them fascinating. However that fascinating was at his doorstep and in his halls and it was beginning to pester him.

"What if I tell Master LaForgé that I requested you to train with me this afternoon? Do you think he'd let you off then?"

Again Hector rolled his eyes, picking the underside of the beasts horseshoes, "I doubt he'd deny you this close to your birthday but he'll do it through clenched teeth."

Adrian shrugged, "I can live, suppose before lunch? Apparently duels are customary so I might as well work on my sword hand."

"Before lunch then, and this better not get me in trouble!" Hector called but Adrian was already walking away, the man's words in the distance. If he could get one slice of normal life today that would be fine, there was an unsettling pit in his stomach that he wasn't going to be experiencing normal for quite a while after tonight.

"Adrian I'm so happy I caught you," his mother cooed. He could tell she was on edge, her voice too sharp around the corners and the smile on her face obviously forced.

He furrowed his brows, "Is everything alright? You look a little...pinched."

"Oh perfectly. Perfectly fine, Damn near wonderful, guess who just informed me they'd be arriving? Sending a letter through the mail so late I couldn't refuse them?" Adrian answered with a wary silence, fearing his mother's oncoming explosion. "The Sisters of Styria! Isn't that just wonderful! I get to deal with Carmilla up your father's arse like a puppet master! How delightful!" Cracks in her face were beginning to form and Adrian had to audibly try and calm her.

"Oh but I'm very calm," she mused like a possessed woman.

"How about we go and get some extracts from the garden? I know the arrowroot is nearly ready."

She waved him off, looking every done up in the appropriate 19th century wear, out of the ordinary from her usual practical clothes, "It can wait another day, I have lunch preparations to oversee. Can you believe that? I have to oversee lunch. God forbid the humans get a whiff of magic and go hog-wild in the middle of my parlor."

Adrian nodded wearily, watching her march down the hall politely. Back stiff and hands clasped.

He never wanted to see her like that again.

But he made his way to his favorite salon, picking up a small plate of food that their staff always left for the usual guests. It was already thoroughly picked over. He grumbled anyhow and took a seat by the window, watching people prune his mother's garden. Usually they shared the chore of upkeep for it but he wasn't surprised with all the patricians coming in that it may not be up to their standard.

His family never cared about this before, it left him eating his breakfast in solemn thought. Their castle had always been a place of education. Damn near a college by some standards. And now it was a circus, a place to entertain the necessary people. The people who Adrian hadn't even met. The worst was yet to come. It was customary for suitors and such to begin their attempts at courting once someone was properly introduced. It left him feeling sick at the thought. He doubted anyone could offer a dowry that would impress his parents, not like anything such as that could ever impress them, so he didn't expect anything like that. But god forbid someone dare claim that they had the right to take him away and make him a 'man'.

Perhaps he had been reading too many books.

Adrian picked off his plate, heading towards the back of the castle to the armory. It had been his own training grounds for years with his father and teachers alike, and Adrian had found skill and comfort in the rapier as his weapon of choice. Hector trained with him in his free time, using his rudimentary forgemaster skills to summon Innocent Devils that were adept in assisting him in battle. It made the fighting more interesting he supposed.

Once there he changed into some loose trousers and a linen shirt to keep him cool. The room had rows upon rows of weapons, varying in age and origin, most from his father's travels. His rapier however sat on the bottom row, always close enough to grab. It was getting old, and a little short for his arm now. He'd been needing a newly forged one for a while but he never liked in asking for new things, didn't seem right to ask for more when he already had so much. A family, food, friendship. What more could someone want?

"You know I've been working on summoning this new Devil, a faery with some healing properties. I'm thinking of letting your mother use her for her work. Might lead to some help."

Adrian smiled, balancing his rapier with his mind while he waited, "I'm sure she'd love to inspect her. Too bad your devils can't talk."

Hector was already in fighting gear, matching each other. His white hair glowed in the light of the stained window, as if it was snow, Adrian hated to think of the dismissal he got because of that hair.

There was no time for words after those few, battling was as easy as breathing for them. Hector's faery did quite well helping the other man's endurance last as much as the blond's. They fought, they twisted, his sword catching Hector on the edge more than once. Adrian dodging up into the air just as frequently to keep out of rage of the other man's broadsword. They snagged each other's tunics, grazed each other's skins. The room quickly got too warm from the sun and the fighting.

"Break," Hector called, leaning over one of his father's cooling machines dramatically. He pointed to the little pale faery floating above him, "We need to work on that." The creature just tinked around him like wind through a chime.

Adrian sat on the practice floor, leaning against the cool wall and refreshing himself with the ice water that was normally set out. Thanks again to his father's engineering skills. "I think you just need a lighter weapon, not the Devil's fault."

Hector made a sound of disapproval, sprawling out on the machine, "Ah, you are biased. I'd like to think it'll get lighter with every use. Or perhaps I'll use one of these ridiculous hammers one day," he gestured to the weapons on the walls.

Adrian laughed into his drink, enjoyed how much it cooled him down. He never handled the heat very well.

"Be blunt with me friend," Hector called into the room with only them. Or maybe he said it to the faery.

"Always," assured Adrian with his eyes closed.

"Do you think that nurse Tatiana really likes me?"

Adrian groaned, "No not again Hector, I was so sure you moved on!"

The other man sighed helplessly, "But yesterday she told me that my stablehand clothes looked 'fitting,' what do you make of that?"

"I make," Adrian grumbled, "That you had a fling and she wants nothing more from an apprenticing vet."

Hector just moaned in overdone distress, "I fear every girl I fall for ends up hating me."

Adrian got to his feet, walking over to clean his rapier, "Perhaps it's your terrible taste in women."

Hector laughed, "Possibly a factor." The man sat up and came over to clean his own weapon. "So no guest has caught your eye then?"

Adrian huffed, eyes focused on the glinting metal of the sword, "The day an aristocrat catches my attention is the day I roll over in my grave."

Dinner came too soon, and time it was to don all the appropriate trimming and trappings for a high society dinner in the year of their lord, 1824. Adrian had older clothes that would do for now, the fresh wardrobe he was gifted waiting till the party in three days time. He didn't care much for dressing up, but he wore his favorite gilded coat and the nicest shirtwaist he had. All his shoes, new and old, polished to finery for the week's events.

The knock on the door came from his mother, who looked like a regular modern woman in her dinner gown, but he could tell the clothes were not for her but for the guests. Seemed like all of this was.

"We should start the formal greeting in the throne room soon, I think your father's gone off the deep end, he's reverted to Greek when speaking to himself."

Adrian hummed in a quiet response, stomach twisted over itself. His mother quietly closed the door into his room, floating over to hug him tightly.

"I swear we will never try and be modern again, we just wanted what was best for you. We never intended this chaos."

He was careful not to hug too tightly, afraid of messing up her neatly done clothes, but it's all he wanted to do was hug her like he was a kid again.

"You know," she said, pulling away, "it's meant to be a surprise but if I asked your father for permission right now he might recite Plato, so. We've arranged a trip for the three of us after all this."

Adrian reared back, "A trip? Where?" He couldn't help the smile on his face, traveling with his father had been some of his favorite memories when he was younger.

His mother couldn't contain her excitement, "Japan, if you can believe it!"

"Japan?" Adrian repeated wide-eyed, "I haven't been there since after…"

His mother nodded, messing with his plaited hair and the restless curls that framed his forehead. "I know, your father was reminded of how much you enjoyed it there when you were little. Now we all get to go."

Now he couldn't help but hug her tight, fearing to ever let go. Though he had grown much taller than his mother, embracing the woman always made him feel small. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

The throne room was converted into a makeshift foyer, with lounging couches and small tables of food, his father and he stood at the doorway, greeting every guest with a handshake and bow. Vampires and people alike filed in, though they separated themselves intentionally on either side of the room. His mother made the rounds, seemingly calm and collected, which he knew she was quite the opposite of at the moment. Clan leaders came through from all over Wallachia, the Ardleans, the Stoians, the Randus. His father must have been mentally checking them off because once most of the guests had come through he looked as though he was waiting for others.

Everyone paid their pleasantries to Adrian, praises floating in the air but he couldn't help feel like there was an undercurrent of distaste to some of them, especially when the Sisters of Styria came in.

He had met Carmilla before, her being a prominent national figure in the vampire community, it was business between her and his father however his mother never failed to bristle with hatred towards the woman. Not for any jealous reasons Adrian thought, just because Carmilla wasn’t a woman that many would define as ‘honest.’

“Lord Dracula, it is a pleasure to be invited to your home,” the pale woman bowed with lips as red and against propriety as blood.

His father was stiff, “Invited is a loose term, you should have notified us of your impending arrival sooner.”

The woman huffed gracefully letting the scold roll off her shoulder, “Oh but we were in such a hurry, Styria is so far away. I’m sure you remember my comrades.” The three women behind here were standing in colors of the Styrian nation, their black and whites, confident. Two in dresses and one in the finest military uniform money could buy. One, which Adrian could only assume was of Middle Eastern or West Asian ancestry, shook hands with his father.

“It has been quite a while Lord, I do extend pleasures that maybe my sister has forgotten, this is my partner Striga.”

Striga was nearly the same height as his father, and they nodded in a mutual understanding. Probability of something political or militant. But Adrian was distracted by the meekest of the four sauntering up to him personally, curtsying in her evening gown of the finest white velvet.

“A pleasure you to meet you Lord Tepes, it is an honor to be of witness to your introduction. My name is Lenore, ruler of Styira.”

Adrian gave a respectable bow and nod, “Pleasure is all mine, please, we have drinks in all variety. We encourage you to indulge.”

The redhead gave a petite smile, delicate fangs behind rosy lips. The woman was beautiful in a soft way. But anyone who worked with Carmilla was not one to be trusted. He kept that in the back of his head. “Why thank you for the accommodation, it’s very kind.”

The greetings stopped and the doors closed as the dining room was getting prepared. He had every living and dead person vying for his conversation. Adrien had always done his best to be polite but carrying on so many conversations with so many people left him feeling exhausted before dinner had begun. He was drowning in the words when a family voice called his name, and he saw Hector off to the side of the room. “Pardon me, there is a matter I must attend to.”

He made his way to his friend, who could do nothing but laugh, “I do not think the life of a politician agrees with you.”

Adrian rolled his eyes, sarcasm lacing his voice, “Not a clue where you got that idea.”

Hector was in his nicest clothes, might as well be the Tepes uniform with most of the students and teachers wearing it. The red sash identifying many of the temporary residents of the estate.

“You have paint on your cuffs by the way,” he pointed to the ends of Adrian’s sleeves. It was one more thing to leave him feeling lost in the ways of aristocracy.

“Ah yes, Madam Randu already made that apparent to me,” he grumbled. “How are you enjoying your evening?”

Hector huffed, sipping from a goblet, “If I have one more human asking what hell spawn I came from I might have to go reanimate a cat to piss on their shoes.” They shared one of the only honest laughs in the room, and he couldn’t have been more thankful that he had his friend there to ease the stress of the night. So, so many people.

And from his father’s insistent gesture towards the doors, he could only imagine that meant more had arrived. He excused himself from Hector and made his way over.

“The Speaker train has just parked,” his father spoke lowly, “it’s customary that we greet them separately tonight. Where is your mother?” He craned his neck to search for his wife in the crowd before they headed out into the night.

Cheaper carts and wagons looked out of place among the expensive carriages that the staff were beginning to park off near the stables. But out of them poured a train of about thirteen robed speakers, an older one coming towards the front to greet Vlad Dracula and his family on their steps.

“Lord Dracula, it is an honor to meet you.” He shook the man’s hand like a real person, indelicately and with a smile. “And your lovely family,” the Speaker mused, shaking Adrian and his mother’s hands just as enthusiastically.

“Elder, we appreciate your travel here, and hope that our rooms are accommodating for your family. We are quite pleased that you have honored us with your presence this week.”

The old man smiled, “Of course! Of course, quite an important event, it is important for our oral records to attend.”

There was an actual smile on his father’s face, which in turn made Adrian grin a bit. He could tell there was a rest between the three of them and the Speakers.

The Elder continued to muse, “We are very excited at studying some of the masters in the castle, and doctors as well.”

His mother nodded and spoke in her normal tone for the first time that night, “I have three students under my apprenticeship now, I’d love to show any of your train my laboratory and apothecary.”

“How excellent, to learn from a doctor as renowned as yourself, they’ll be thrilled. And my magicians are looking forward to your collections.”

“You have magicians in your train?” Adrian beamed, those of magical study always enraptured him. Fascinated by the difference of natural and learned magicks between humans and night creatures. The rest of the Speakers had joined their Elder on the stairs, and he gestured for one to come forward.

“Yes, our most talented magician is my granddaughter, Sypha Belnades.”

She bowed, her short hair a flame against the cool robes of her train, “An honor your Lordship.” Her accent was thick, intriguing Adrian as he bowed back.

“The honor is all mine, I do not know much of Speaker magicks. I’d be interested in a lesson if one would be so willing.” The girl gave a tight grin, as if not to let out any access excitement.

She had glittering blue eyes that danced in the electric lamps of the castle entrance, her shorter hair making her look all the more spritely. “It would be my pleasure Lord Tepes, you are free to arrange whenever suits you.”

Adrian beamed, “It’s done then.” He tried to keep his own excitement under wraps, but nothing made him happier than new knowledge, and perhaps the demonstrations could take his mind off the ridiculous status quos that he had to adhere to for the rest of the people.

By the time they got back inside it was already time to sit down for dinner, which was laid out in excruciating detail as to meet everyone’s dietary concerns. His father sat at the head of the long table, wife and son on either side and the young students at the farthest end. Adrian gave a pitiful smile to Hector so far away. Adrian himself was positioned next to Lenore, who left an uncomfortable chill at his side. There were seats near the middle of the table that remained empty, five to be exact and it prompted him to question his mother opposite him who was meant to be there.

Her eyes darted around, mainly to his father who was uncomfortably sipping at some wine, before she landed on a pitiful shrug.

It turns out that their guests would arrive before the first course, striding in, with all their lack of grace, came the House of Belmont.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty roo so there was a lot of liberty taken with this (duh) but here are some not so liberty taken things from the games  
> \- Alucard's trip to Japan was based off of his eventually residency there in the games, he lived and worked under an different name (Arikado Genya) until the time of many of the more recent games, all of which took place in Japan. I actually thought this is where they were going with Sumi and Taka in season four (OBVIOUSLY FUCKING NOT) where in they'd all go back to Japan, setting up the story to move closer to the scenario of the games. So no the Japan trip is in no way a reference to them, but Alucard does actually have a relationship to the country in the games.  
> -Also, Hector and Innocent Devils, also pulled directly from the games, specifically Curse of Darkness, my baby. Basically Hectors like a pokemon trainer from hell? Or at least the monsters are from hell. It's kinda awesome and hes hella bad ass so imma need the writers to hurry up and get my boy to his game plotline because season three has left me licking. my. wounds.


	2. Lords Belmont

The impolite intrusion to the dinner caused mighty an uproar, mainly from the head of the table himself. Among the commotion between every soul, Vlad shot up, chair nearly being knocked over by the speed, “Belmonts!” 

The name rippled through the table, a few guests cried in fear of the word itself. Adrian gripped his hands in fists, mainly in worry of a fatal fight breaking out over the dinner table. If anything could be a disaster, a dinner party just made sense. 

“Lord Vlad Dracula Tepes!” The Belmont in front spoke loudly, as if they were old friends, a grin on his face. 

Carmilla felt the need to make herself known, standing up as well, “How dare you intrude on such an event!”

That just made Vlad snarl with hatred, “Carmilla sit _down._ ” He had his own hands in fists, Adrian was surprised that fire didn’t spew from his nostrils. “But she speaks a fitting question. Who _dare_ invite you?” 

“I did,” replied his mother meekly on the edge of her goblet. It made his father do a double take.

“You what?” 

Lisa straightened herself up, a bit of guilt but no regret on her face, “I. Invited. Them.” She was only speaking loud enough for her husband to hear, leaving the rest of the table to murmur in suspicion. 

They whispered angrily, but Dracula was never a man to control the goings on of his wife. “ _Why_ would you invite them?” 

Lisa pursed her lips tightly in a fake smile, “Well it’s not like I planned on them arriving late now is it.” Her voice was just as sharp as it had been in the morning and Adrian was left in the silence of the situation. “They are one of the noble houses, more damage would have been done had I not, Adrian let’s go greet our guests.” She stood, large smile as she set her napkin down. “Belmonts! How delightful!” 

Adrian shot a look to his father, “Will I be murdered if I follow her?” 

His father seethed, somehow the words coming through shut and ground teeth, “A bit of filleting might be in order.” 

Adrian nodded and rose from his own seat to follow his mother in greeting the unwelcome guests with a tight smile, leaving most of the table in a whispering shock. The Belmonts were adorned with their family crest upon their leather coats, collars tight on their necks and trimmed in red and gold. The head of the people was a middle aged man, still spry looking and Adrian didn’t have to imagine why, life as a vampire hunter tended to lend you an athletic figure, as seen by the rest of his family. 

He gave Lisa a deep bow, bright tan skin a contrast from many of the guest’s more sullen complexions. “Grievous apologies Lady Tepes, business interrupted our travels.” 

His mother just gestured for the man to rise, “ _Doctor_ Tepes, and it’s unfortunate that you were diverted from the road, but you broke quite an unspoken rule not letting us greet our late guests personally.” She whispered to the man, “I do hope it’s not an indication of your opinion on my family, Lord Belmont.” 

The man never faltered in his grin, dark hair and bright eyes seemed to be a family trait. “Of course Doctor Tepes, it is a mistake I shall never repeat, and let me ease the issue by offering my family’s gift to your son early.” 

One of the younger members approached with a long leather case balanced in his hands, a scar decorating one of his eyes. They shared a glance, but he couldn't tell of what. Adrian eyed his mother, and then turned to share a look with his father who was still boiling at the table end, before he gently unlatched the case.

His voice had dried up at the sight, barely even able to breathe let alone provide a proper thanks, but the man just continued to grin, “We were informed of your proficiency with the rapier, thought it a fitting time to gift you one from the famous Belmont forge."

The sword rested in a bright velvet interior, the platinum metal glinting like a star in the electric light. Filigree on the handle was delicately metalworked, shines of golds hinted between the polished white. It was exquisite, he couldn’t help but lift the sword carefully from it’s cushion. The balance was already apparent even with his light handling of it, master craftsmanship at its absolute finest. 

“Thank you, this is. This is unprecedented. I do not have words for it’s beauty.” 

The older man just shrugged, “It is a marvelous piece, but do not let it’s finery fool you. It has been carbonized to a nearly unbreakable strength. Truly a deserving present for a man coming of age.” 

His mother continued her tight smile, recognizing that her invitation probably caused trouble with his father, “Thank you Lord Belmont, I will have one of our staff deliver this to our armory. Adrian’s sword is always practiced there. As for the rest of the evening, we were just about to begin first course, your seats right over here."

She had strategically placed them with two other Houses between them and the nearest vampire, as not to ruffle any feathers. Well, any _more_ feathers to be truthful. Adrian made his way back to his seat in time to receive his own plated course.

His father didn’t eat a scrap all night even though the meat was prepared blue just for him. He didn’t even end the dinner formally, just picked up and walked out with his long coat sweeping behind him, Lisa took the reins and dismissed everyone from their desserts. “A second dessert plating is offered in the first floor salon for any interested, and the second floor parlor has any _specialty_ drinks that one may require. You have all been provided room numbers and staff to assist you whenever you feel the need to retire. Thank you for coming, it is dearly appreciated.” 

Adrian and his mother shared a strained look before she strode off after her husband, and Adrian was once again the talk of the party, vampires all answering to him as to what they could possibly do with Belmonts in the castle. As if they would be doing anything that would worry the Belmonts anyway. He gave his most understanding responses as most of them filed up to the second floor where refrigerated blood was on tap. And the people mingled quietly, the Belmonts and Speakers secluding themselves, perhaps there was animosity there too. Hector came up to Adrian as soon as he could, crossing his hands over his chest and whispering to him. 

“What could your mother possibly have been thinking with all that.” 

Adrian had his hands resting on the table, his head hung with exhaustion, “I have no fathomable idea other than to keep a peace we’ve been tailoring with the hunters.” 

Hector gruffed, eyeing the group, “At least they gave you a nice present, though I’d have to admit I’m worried they cursed it for you somehow.” 

Adrian had been staring at the family while Hector spoke, and one of them had caught him. He slid his eyes away slowly, as not to look startled by getting seen staring across the room like a ghost. It was the scarred man, who when getting a longer look seemed not too much older than himself. But there was a sense of grizzledness to them, almost like bears in a den. And the gift felt like an invitation to poke them. 

“Would you suggest going to the first or second floor?” Hector asked absently.

Adrian shrugged, “Eat or be eaten are your options, though I caught many a vampire staring at you. Perhaps you do look demonic after all.” The white haired man just sighed in agreement, claiming he had work to do checking on all the carriage horses anyhow. 

“Dinner was good my friend, please don’t get your head bitten off.” 

Adrian laughed as his friend exited the room. He made nice with most of the guests, making his way towards the Speakers, as he found a calming energy to be following them. The Elder approached him first however, the only real smile in the castle, “Young Lord. What a wonderful meal. Your staff is so greatly appreciated.” 

Adrian grinned back, “I will inform them of such, are you planning to adjourn to the salon?” 

“Ah,” the Elder sighed, “It has been quite the travel cross the country, we have been given our quarters and I believe that is where we shall head next. Your other guests, they are very kind as well.” 

Adrian didn’t quite believe that, seeing as no one had even spoken to them yet and if they did he could only assume it was with strict politeness, “I’m pleased they’ve been gracious with you. Let me show you to your quarters myself, the castle can be quite confusing your first time through.” 

The man sounded with appreciation, “Oh that is just too thoughtful Lord, you have no such requirements. We are skilled in finding our way.”

But Adrian shook his head, “No I absolutely insist, here I know a shortcut.”

And so he left his own dinner guests to tread foot with the Speakers, finding it quite easy to make conversation with them as opposed to the other attendees. “I haven’t met any Speakers before, I’m quite flattered you accepted the invitation here.” The Elder and his granddaughter walked with him in the lead as he took them towards the back of the third floor, overlooking the stables and barns. His mother’s thinking was that perhaps they would be the only ones to appreciate the view of the animals. 

“Oh no, from here on there are no more pleasantries, I know the noble community deems it necessary to remain perfectly polite. We are just as thankful that we are here young Lord.” 

“Adrian, please,” he offered and turned the woman beside the Elder. “How long have you been studying your craft?” 

She didn’t hesitate to answer, unlike most human women in his presence. “My whole life. Every Speaker is taught magic as a second language. Few become fluent.” 

“Remarkable,” Adrian murmured, eliciting a response from the ginger that could only have been pride. “I’ve spent my entire life practicing as well, unfortunately I’m not as well versed as I would like.” 

Sypha nodded, “You’ve had extensive practice with weapons however, that is just as difficult a skill.” 

He smiled, leading them to the southern family quarters that all shared a small common area and four expansive duel rooms. “Thank you, Miss Belnades. These are everyone’s quarters, we’ve had the staff move your belongings from your carriages I hope you find everything suiting to your tastes. 

“Sypha to you as well, Adrian.” Sypha said confidently, smiling as she did. It caught him off guard in the best way. Refreshing after the events and stresses of the nights. As the rest of the Speakers filed in with their thanks as he held open the door, Sypha stayed out with him. 

“When would you like to practice together?” 

She had completely no respect for the propriety of the times, the offer so casual and would be considered intimate in regular social settings, again it caught him off balance. “I-well I suppose that there could be free time in the armory before lunch, the day after tomorrow. I can come retrieve and escort you near perhaps, ten o clock?”

Sypha smiled, the curls of her hair dancing around her features, making Adrian hyper aware of the hair that was probably falling from his plait. “This is very funny to me,” she said, accent lacing her words. 

He furrowed his brow, feeling almost inappropriate that it was just the two of them speaking out of view of the others. If a human matron happened along there would certainly be gossip around the castle. “Funny?” he repeated with his arms crossed.

“You’re all very worried about being polite here, and serious. No one tells their truth.” 

Adrian swallowed, “It’s uncomfortable for me as well. We are much less proper with everyone gone.” 

She nodded, her robes so large they seemed to be swallowing her up whole. “I see, is there paint on all of your clothes?”

He gawked in surprise, attempting to hide his cuffs, “Ha, uhm. Only the important ones, I can assure you." 

Sypha laughed, sliding through the door, “Have a good night, happy birthday Adrian.” 

“And a good night to you, Miss.”

“Sypha,” she corrected before closing the door. 

“I can’t believe you dragged us here,” grumbled Rafael, sliding himself into a plush chair in the empty salon. Trevor however still stood near the fireplace, watching the flames dance, and only passively listening to his family’s conversation. 

Garrett just waved his nephew off, ordering his beard in the mirror, “It is the best chance we have at an intimate look in the bastard’s castle, we haven't gotten this close since Odrick Belmont ambushed. And,” he added pointedly, “Perhaps good behavior can lend more peaceful opportunities in the future.”

Rafael huffed again, “Please, this isn’t the fifteenth century anymore, we don’t need to pretend to like each other. There’s no use in pretending to be peaceful. That rapier was quite a bit more than any Belmont should have done.”

The older man shook his head, “See this is precisely why you won’t be allowed on any more trips. Besides, did you see how quickly Dracula backed down with his wife there. She’s the best thing to happen to humanity and nobody even knows it. Trust me, with her around there's nothing to worry about.” 

“Doesn’t justify the sword though,” the younger Belmont chimed. 

“Oh move on,” Trevor grumbled half to himself. The man had been griping over the damn sword for the last two weeks like a spoiled child. The trip was already too long for Trevor on day one with his family.

Rafael laughed, “What, you worried about how well he’s gonna use that sword during your duel?” Trevor slid a glare towards his cousin that expressed an intense wish for him to stop speaking. Not like he ever would, and the man waved it off anyway, “Besides. Did you see how small he was? Looked fragile, in my opinion.” 

Trevor laughed, “Man was taller than you.” 

"Younger!" pointed his cousin.

"For three more days," Trevor teased. His age was a surprise upon seeing the dhampir at the dinner, offering the sword. For he looked far older than twenty one, wiser almost. But still the porcelain skin he was accustomed to seeing on vampires, timeless. It made him think too much, question how immortals could ever _grow._ He supposed some answers would just be left to the ether. 

"Did you run everybody off?" said a voice in the doorway. Trevor turned to see his sister and cousin with their arms crossed. There was no difference in his formal wear from theirs, the same leather coat with the gold embroidered crest. His twin had her hair plaited back but Callie had hers undone in her rough curls. 

"Apparently the other Houses are a little scandalized by our entrance this evening," Garrett hummed picking up and flipping through a random book. 

Nadine shrugged sauntering over towards the little pastries on a silver platter. Not real silver of course. He doubted anything here was genuine silver at all. Not like that surprised him. He wouldn't have poison lying about his house either. 

"You were quite the dinner guest," Nadine muttered between bites of a cake. 

Garrett gave her a glare over his book, "And you were quite the princess, talking with your mouth full." His sister paused enough to flip their uncle off. Trevor just lent against the mantle, feeling wholeheartedly uncomfortable staying in a vampire's home for the next week. Not just any, Vlad Dracula the singular. Prince of Darkness, King of Vampires. The one creature that his family has sworn to kill at any cost. His ancestors traversed this same castle trying to make good on that promise, maybe they lent on these fireplaces like him. He wondered what rooms they had died in. 

"What a morbid thought."

Trevor snapped, "What?"

Callie shrugged, "You dying in the duel."

He lowered his eyes back to the fire, "Oh is that what we're talking about now?"

Rafael, ever the conversationalist continued, "Like I said he's a small thing, and a rapier? Honestly you'll be all but fighting a Frenchman." 

Trevor chuckled, "Then you do it." His cousin stopped. "Why don't you Raf! Seeing as how weak he looks to you and all. Might as well do it yourself then."

The younger man rolled his eyes, "Shut up Trevor, I dearly apologize if I wounded your pride." He got up towards the door, claiming it was about time he headed to bed. Trevor finally agreed with his cousin and was behind him towards their quarters a minute after to steal the last tartlet.

But sixty seconds is quite a lot of time, a ridiculous amount of time one might say, enough time for an aforementioned person of interest to be summoned right into existence. Trevor was rubbing exhausted eyes when he collided with a body in the hallway. 

"Oh sorry, excuse me." 

"You're alright, I wasn't paying attention," chimed the man. The blond man. The tall man, the oh god he just brute forced his way to Dracula's son…man.

Trevor backed away instantly, farther than appropriate distance, if nothing more than fear the Prince would appear right there behind him and slit his throat for hitting his kid. The other man seemed to notice Trevor's escape, his hands raising and eyes darkening. 

"I don't bite if that's what you're worried about," his voice was much heavier that the polite muses that Trevor had heard before. Trevor himself wasn't in the best mood either. Him and the Heir to Darkness in a dim hallway, a lot of things could go wrong. 

"Don't mean to offend your Lordship," he muttered, but he couldn't help feeling unarmed with the man. Soft murmurs from his family in the salon told him he was not all that alone, but the absent buzz of the electric lights had him feeling sickeningly exposed.

The blond straightened up, "Call me Alucard." And he could see the flash of puzzlement in the Belmont's face, "It's a public title. Little bit of an unfortunate one. Not as formal as Lord and not as informal as my name." 

Trevor just hummed, doing his best to hide his unease, "Alright then, Trevor's the name. Don't feel obligated to use it."

Alucard's jaw tightened, making an impressive bone structure even more enforced, "Look, I apologize if you were drug here against your ancestral will, but I don't have any plans about threatening you." In the shadows he looked even older than before, damn near menacing, "So you can get your hand off that whip now."

Trevor hadn't even noticed where his fingers were resting. He promptly let his arms hang by his sides. Continuing to inspect the heir up and down, "I wouldn't go into the salon unless you want to run into a lot more of me." 

Alucard eyed the warm glow from the open door behind Trevor, "The rest of the people already gone?" The Belmont nodded, unsure of how to exit the conversation. "Alright then," he unconsciously unbuttoned the last latch of his coat, the way a tired host would, letting his very trim figure peek out from behind the heavy garment, "Your quarters are the farthest away, but if you've hit the greenhouse then you've gone too far."

Trevor swallowed, focused on the stairs behind the man, "Thanks...Alucard." His voice was hesitant but he wasn't in the business of starting drama after dinner. Or before dinner. Or at all. Trevor liked to think of himself as a very gossipless person.

The man gave an uneasy smile, "Of course. Let one of us know if you need anything." 

"Yes sir," Trevor responded reflexively and suddenly worried that it may have come along rude. Oh well he was already starting up the stairs, though due to their curve he was able to catch the man's gilded eyes one last time. 

Adrian barely had the effort to walk to the second floor, let alone join the rest of the vampire’s in their politics. That’s all vampires ever talked about. How much power they had. How easily they could use it against humanity. Specifically, how admirable it was that they hadn't eaten their way through the entire globe yet, because they could do it if they wanted. Sincerely. It's only that no vampire has ever done that, and in Adrian’s mind, never will. Most of what he’d noticed from his father’s colleagues, was how little action they truly took. 

All bark, no bite. 

So instead of making his presence known, Adrian led himself upstairs to his room, astronomy in every corner, his bed simple and hand crafted. A painting of his family hung between the windows. Moonlight had found its way between the cracks of the floorboards, and his room was painted silver. Serene, one could call it. He rubbed his eyes, rarely feeling so exhausted. The day had left a hollow feeling in his chest, one that felt like it was going to stay for as long as the guests did unfortunately.

Adrian took his time. Unpeeled his layers without rush, undid his hair without pressure. He threaded through the silky tendrils with a bone carved comb that he had bought in Egypt one year when he was little. Hieroglyphs were etched into the ivory, and Adrian spent weeks trying to decipher them, much to his disappointment when it ended up just being the trinket’s price (which was apparently much lower than what he paid for it). 

From his window’s view, he could see almost the entire estate, the creeping edges of their garden, and the road down towards the stable cutting by. He could see the river his father avoided but his mother loved to wade through in the summer. Adrian sighed, now more than never missing the days without responsibility. It was just a week, he reminded himself. He’d dealt with far worse. 

But nothing before had all been for him. The chaos, the stress, it all hung beneath his name. It made him shiver. So he closed the window and went to bed, hoping somehow it had all been a fever dream.

Unfortunately, it was not.


	3. Lady Sypha

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> or the one with actual plot

Trevor awoke to his uncle grumbling his nephews awake, Rafael on the other side of the room in his own queen bed. He groaned, cursing into his pillow and digging himself further into the mattress. 

“Oi,” yelled their uncle, “I said get on up. Doctor Tepes is having breakfast with all the morning folk and I don’t fancy being late to another event.”

When he didn’t move, Trevor was punished via removal of blankets. He shot up, snagging the last thread of blank from the air in an attempt to pull it back to him before he was confronted with the morning chill. But it was too late, Garrett (literally) had the upper hand, and tossed the bed covers to the side. 

He growled at his nephew, lumbering out of the room, “Jesus Trevor put some clothes on.” 

But Trevor just rubbed his face, hoping it would help the pain behind his eyes. The windows were stained, another unsurprising feature of a vampire fortress, but it didn’t mean that morning sun didn’t make its way into the room and into his unadjusted vision. He cracked his neck, recoiled at his breath, all the morning things one does but it did little to help his exhaustion. 

Rafael was sliding off the bed like a snake, trying not to move too quickly, something he could completely understand. It was just clothes this morning, normal ones thank god. No fashion trimming or excessive fasteners. Just a shirt and some trousers and he could go. 

“The hell are you going barefoot, Trevor?” 

And also shoes. 

Breakfast was served in a large sunroom, gorgeous stained marbling in the windows left the place alive with colors across the walls and floor. All the people done up much finer than he were painted just as bright in the room. Thankfully, the Stoians were later than them. It was almost comedic, the scene. Vlad Dracula’s wife, hosting morning tea in a sunroom for the House of Belmont. She smiled at them from the table before sauntering over in a delicate white morning dress, her hair was bundled to the side unceremoniously, it seemed no one was prepared to be up this early. 

Her smile was brighter this time, perhaps at their punctuality, and Trevor got a brief glimpse of what a happy Tepes looks like. “Good morning, I hope you slept well. We have black and green tea steeped, and Peruvian coffee brewing in the kitchen.” There was a resounding thanks from his family, and she continued, “Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance at all your name’s last night. Of course Lord Garrett but you are?” 

“Rafael Belmont.”

The woman nodded, shaking his hand, “It is a pleasure to meet you.” She turned towards Trevor, hand outstretched. She didn’t seem to be aware of the awkward encounter he and Alucard shared the night previous, something he was thankful for.

“Trevor Belmont,” he said, giving a small smile in return. 

They situated themselves at the table, he unfortunately next to an unfamiliar maiden of the Ardlean family. She somehow had paler skin than any vampire he’d encountered before and a very pinched face. Or maybe she thought Trevor smelled bad, could be both. The older heads of the family seated themselves near the doctor, and Nadine was comfortably between Rafael and Callie, shooting a look towards him that could only be read as _oh well_. Trevor rolled his eyes, taking a very angry bite of his cucumber-something sandwich. 

The Ardlean lady gave him a repulsed look, and he could only mutter a sorry through sandwich crumbs.

Apparently the goal for today was to tour the estate, something that might have thrilled his uncle, but Trevor loathed. Walking around a castle built for murder and saying ‘Wow what beautiful roses, human bodies for fertilizer?’ He lent back in his chair, wondering what they were really doing here anyway. So Garrett could make nice with some demons? To ‘foster a peace.’ It was all ridiculous, none more ridiculous than throwing a birthday party for a dhampir. Soon the birthdays would be irrelevant, and he’d become ageless to the world. But that’s what aristocrats did now, they presented their children on silver platters to society, he supposed that even that could be an interesting change for the vampires. 

They were drawn about the castle from foyer to throne room to all six of their salons and six _teen_ of their studies. Many of which were being used as apprentice rooms for masters that came and went through the castle, they walked by a room that was crowded with Speakers, one of them turning to see the commotion in the call, she and Trevor shared a glance of surprise before they both turned away. There was something familiar about that Speaker’s face. 

The tour group had split, one party towards the gardens and one through the more utilitarian parts of the castle. Paintings lined nearly every hall, their colors thrown off by the colored glass, one of them inexplicably of a chicken. It made Trevor stop and stare. Right there in the middle of a selection of portraits was a chicken. He didn’t even noticed that the group had moved on as he was too busy whispering what the fuck had he gotten himself into here. 

However the newly provided silence allowed him to hear the faint sounds of sword clashes down a small hall, on eye on the tour group and one ear on the swords—Trevor made the rash decision not to give a shit and followed the swords.

He crept up on a door, peering through it as if he was hunting a beast. It looked to be a large weapons hold, the middle of the room made of lightweight flooring built to absorb shock. He knew because it’s exactly what they had back at the training room in the manor. Two people fight on the floor, dancing in the sunlight. Both with pale hair that reflected the stained windows. It was unquestionably Alucard there, a nearly clear linen shirt that floated around his figure and rippled with his movement. He shifted through the air in a vampiric way, levitated above his sparring partner and glinting in the light was a fresh rapier. 

His family's sword, forged for a vampire. If the end of times could be whenever, it would be taking place right here in this hallway with Trevor. 

He justified his snooping with the belief that this would benefit him once their own battle began, the teleporting would have certainly taken him off guard. It didn't help that it felt wrong however. That this was something not meant to be shared. His sparring partner had been present at the dinner, and he had seen the men talking in hushed voices afterwards, right when he had locked eyes with the vampire twice that evening. Not much embarrassed Trevor Belmont, but those golden eyes gave him shivers. Perhaps they were friends, perhaps even lovers, the way they moved so fluidly on the sparring floor. 

But the other man called a break, and he could hear snips of conversation between the two. It was apparently about time the other man head back to work, and he caught a glimpse of him heading out the opposite door.

Trevor snapped back behind the wall, worried the vampire would catch him skulking. There were soft clattering of metal, impossibly light footsteps, but no sounds of departing. He shouldn't, he really truly shouldn't, but Trevor was never known to help himself so he peeked again around the threshold. 

The man had begun practicing alone, taking his time to appreciate the sword. He moved gracefully, all his width in his shoulders so his long legs carried him easily. Even when he'd move briefly towards the door, Trevor couldn't help but stand right there and just _watch_. Something trance-like about his movement, capturing far more of Trevor's interest than he would have like. Dumb fucking vampire with his dumb perfect hair and dumb pretty face. There was the glint of a burning red scar across the man's chest, visible between his shirt laces, and it left Trevor's imagination run wild. What trouble could a royal child get up to that would cause that?

Trevor had no shortage of them either, but they lived suitably different lives. Different in the way they moved their swords, different in the way they spoke. Different in who they killed. 

His mind never stopped moving, even when the blond had stilled his practice, eyes seeming to wander. And so did Trevor's, his eyeline scraping against all the walls filled with hanging weapons. Some of them old and some of them he recognized from his ancestors writings. There were torn up whips displayed, and no one had to imagine why those were there. 

The Belmont stormed off.

Adrian rested the rapier back in it's case, embellished Belmont crest right in the middle. He didn't mind, running his fingers over the gold, but its as far as his trust went for them. He thought about that Trevor Belmont's behavior the night previous. The skittishness, Adrian was no stranger to people being afraid of him. He saw no reason to lie about it. The man with the scar down his eye, he wondered if people here feared that too, or if the vampires thought it funny that someone got a piece of a Belmont. Adrian couldn't define quite how he felt, it had annoyed him—their interaction in the hallway—but he couldn't help a spark of gratitude for the gift. 

He shook his head, "Get over yourself," he muttered as he locked the weapon away.

He was expected for lunch with his mother and the students in nearly an hour, which means he had one more hour alone before today's plans which included but were not limited to—the luncheon with the students and Speakers, meeting with the decorators for the ball, meeting with the chefs for the ball, somewhere in there he was expected to have breakfast with his fathers colleagues, then a soiree with everyone, then the humans would go to bed, then he had to entertain the vampires in their salon for the rest of the evening and make sure they're not getting into any morbid trouble.

For as long as he lived, Adrian refused to ever have another party. But what to do for the hour? 

He supposed he could head up to his father's study and read, no one would be in there anyway. He was sure the man would be sleeping off the headache of last night till at least four. It would be quiet and secluded, just what he needed. So up the stairs he went, whispering his goodmornings to their staff, Whitney especially. She gave him the saddest smile back. He felt awful, for whoever she had been assigned too couldn't be making her all that happy. Though he wasn't surprised, he'd only found himself really fond of the Speakers so far. 

The door to his father's study was creaked open once he arrived, Adrian's stomach dropped. His father never left doors open into his rooms, not once. Adrian had been fequently scolded for leaving this particular door open when he was little. There was a magical little lock that left he and his parent's the only one able to turn the knob. He cursed himself quietly, if only he had brought a weapon with him. There wasn't much he could do about that now, so Adrian swallowed the worried and slowly creaked open the door, fully expecting a danger to be lurking. And yet,

It was her. 

"Oh. Good afternoon Adrian, a peculiar set of books," Sypha sang with a leather bound spellbook in her hand. The woman acting as though she hadn't just gotten caught trespassing. 

He gave a weak smile, "You know this isn't a public room Miss." And there was the look of surprise now, widening blue eyes. 

She fumbled around, trying to put the book away as quick as she could, "I'm so sorry! I had no idea, the door was open and I just assumed. I barely read anything." 

Adrian waved the apology away, striding over to see what she had been reading. "It's an honest mistake, there's no reason to fret. What was peculiar?" 

She gestured to the shelf, "Well these are all on some forbidden crafts. Who's study is this?" 

"My father's," murmured Adrian as he ran his fingers over the book spines. The Speaker just let out a soft _oh_ , but he shook his head and plucked one of his favorite volumes from the shelf, "But he hasn't practiced in decades, there's nothing darker in this room than there is in the flower beds." He paused, "Although perhaps don't take my word on that."

The Speaker chuckled, "I do still apologize, my family is watching some of your more theoretical teachers, I confess it bored me."

"Was it the old man with a funny hat?" She nodded and he hummed, "Yes he is one of the duller ones. But you came to the right place if you're looking for magic. This was my main teacher when I was younger," he held up the indigo book. 

She came to his side to scan the pages, "Telekinetics?" 

He nodded striding over to the table by the window, "And teleportation. The only real strengths I ever had in magic." The pages felt like an old friend resting in his hand, the ink all too familiar for him. 

Sypha came over with him, taking a seat at his side to continue reading, "I've always found these mental magics more difficult. They don't...they don't come from your heart, your chest. That is where I feel my magic." She was illuminated by a blue window, but it did little to hide the heat of her hair, and only did more for her eyes. 

Adrian nearly forgot what she had said he was too busy focusing on the soft sweep of the curl that danced on her forehead. He cleared his throat, promptly looking back to the book, "Uhm, yes. They're not as passionate as other crafts I think. But I've always had a knack for the technical, or that's what I'd like to believe."

The Speaker shook her head, crossing her arms on the table, "I don't believe that."

"Really?" Adrian blinked, but the girl was still smiling.

"Very seriously!" She exclaimed, "You had all that paint on your dinner clothes, painting is not technical. It is all passion."

The blond hung his head a bit, if only to hide his blooming smile, "Well you haven't actually seen the pieces so I wouldn't go saying I have a knack for that either."

"Ah," she flicked her wrist, "I don't believe that either. Did you do some of the ones in the house?"

Adrian lent back in his chair with his own arms crossed, "A couple, mainly on the third floor though. They're all old."

She laughed, "I liked the goose one by our quarters!"

"Oh no," he laughed, rubbing his face, "That one is so awful."

"Nonsense, it was fun!" She poked him in the chest, "That's a passion. Not telekinesis. You feel it right there. Other people can feel it too."

Adrian smiled, listening and appreciating the way her accent gilded her words, and the more she spoke the more vibrant those eyes seemed. He sighed a quiet sigh, "I suppose you're not wrong."

She beamed, shutting the book loudly and placing it back on the shelf, "Of course I'm not. Now let me see, perhaps there's something better suited."

He gulped, speaking quietly, "I've toyed with, well with transfigurations."

Sypha paused, interest in her posture, "Of yourself?" He nodded. "I think that's a fascinating art form. What have you done so far?" 

He shrugged, "Well when I was younger I tended to shift into a bat to avoid my mother catching me in trouble." Adrian chuckled, remember the anger on her face, "Not the best idea when your father's as good of a magician as mine is." 

Sypha laughed, "So he always caught you?" 

"Without fail, though one time he almost lost me in the barn," Adrian pointed in his defense. The woman pulled a book from another shelf with a wolf on the front.

"That's a successful transfiguration though, you must have been very skilled when you were younger. Why not pursue more?"

He looked to the window, and then to the table. Anywhere but in her honest eyes, swallowing the lump in his throat as he spoke, "It always felt too…vampiric."

The Speaker's shoulders fell, and a sorry smile pulled down on her face, so he shook his head, realizing then that he had said too much. "It's no matter, what of your natural talents, what magic do you practice?"

But she just reached out to take his hand instead, light and delicate. Her nimble fingers similar to his own thin ones, the soft pads running over the back of his gloveless hand. Adrian nearly lost breath at the touch, so unused to affection from others. It wasn't the nature of society to just reach out and touch, even if one desired it. "It is alright," she spoke slowly, "to fear power we do not understand." 

He opened his mouth to respond, though no words would've come out even if they were given the chance. So the knock on the door interrupted silence instead.

Adrian and the Speaker both jumped apart at the sound, clattering back in their chairs. Sypha's dangerously close to falling over, so he caught it as quickly as he could, the maneuver in no way casual. His hand still resting on the chair back when Master Rinaldo spoke. 

"The luncheon has started," he said in a stuffy voice, "Your mother has missed you." His beady eyes kept flicking between the two of them like a raven about to deliver news. 

Adrian locked his jaw, doing his best not to display any anger at the man's stare, "Of course. I'll be right on my way." 

The teacher nodded slowly, but never taking his eyes off the two of them as he left. Adrian felt the quiet splintering of wood beneath his hand that told him he really should calm down. Sypha's bright eyes looked dim, "Did I get you in trouble?"

His shoulders fell, "No. No not at all. He's always been a gossip, pay him no attention." Adrian offered his hand to help her up the way he was taught, he assumed she took out of respect and not because it was her custom. 

"There are many rules here," she mentioned as Adrian closed the door with a click. He tried not to show his upset at the situation, keeping his face tight. 

“Unfortunately, some people’s only source of entertainment is the happenings of people’s personal lives.” He paused before they headed downstairs, though he had already taken a step or two, making himself shorter than the Speaker so he had to look up when talking, “Miss Sypha,”

“Just Sypha please,” she corrected but Adrian shook his head, already feeling guilty about the whole thing. 

“No, I don’t want to make it a habit, people may get the wrong idea. I want you to know,” he caught the intensity of her eyes, the blue that made his chest swell, “if anyone begins saying things about you. Please, don’t hesitate to let me know. I have no qualms throwing people out of this castle in a heartbeat.” 

Sypha pursed her lips, swallowing before she spoke, “While I appreciate your gentlemanly behavior, I have never concerned myself with people's opinions of me and I’m not about to start. I assure you if anyone spreads anything I take no shame in speaking my mind.” 

He wondered what a life Speakers live, on the outskirts of propriety, freedom to feel and say and do whatever they liked. Her words highlighted the exact reason this situation was slowly chipping away at his resolve. This wasn’t him. Not the formalities, not the diplomacy, and certainly not the policing of his behavior. As they headed to the formal parlor for lunch, Adrian could only think about what it must be like, having one’s heart as their compass. 

Only the teachers cast him dangerous eyes as he walked in with Sypha at his side, his mother however cast a curious glare that Adrian would have to uncode later. He took his seat next to her and Hector, who sat next to Master LaForge. Soups had already been served, and Sypha across the round table seemed none the wiser to Rinaldo’s pinched stare, and if she was then she paid no attention. It made him smile. 

A loose conversation was floating around the table, easing the unrest and giving his mother an opportunity to lean over and whisper, “Is there a reason you’re in practice gear with a lady Speaker?” 

He hadn’t even noticed that his shirt was socially indecent for lunch, or any activity that wasn't chasing Hector with a sword. He cleared his throat quietly, “I promise, we were just reading some volumes in a study.” 

Lisa sipped her drink, murmuring into the goblet, “Oh yes, _reading_. Me and your father were quite fond of that _activity_.” 

Adrian choked, and promptly pushed his soup out of the way, losing his appetite completely. The medical apprentices were having an in depth conversation with some of the Speakers, Hector staring wistfully at the brunette nurse across the table. He had to elbow his friend before someone thought him insane.

“Hector, you’re drooling.” 

He sat up, remembering that yes, there was food in front of him and he shouldn’t be staring at his unrequited romance, “She just sounds so smart when she talks about anatomy.”

Adrian rolled his eyes, “I thought it was already made clear she’s not interested in any more anatomical practice with you.” 

Hector glared at him over the bread he was biting, barely taking enough time to chew and swallow before retorting, “Oh and that’s not what you and that Speaker were up to then?”

Adrian couldn’t help the angry rumble in his throat, he lent in to hiss towards his friend, “Is _everyone_ concluding that?” 

“Rinaldo can’t whisper, not to mention your laces look a little precarious there.” 

He hated the look on his friends face, smug and amused. Normally Adrian had that look between the two of them, he lent against his chair with his arms crossed. 

“I didn’t have time to change after we sparred,” but he knew it was a pitiful excuse, everything was pointing to _very_ scandalous happenings between him and Sypha. He hated it, if only for her. He could only imagine how the proper ladies would treat her now. First a Speaker, and a woman with cropped hair, and now apparently a dalliance of the young lord in the castle. It wasn't too hard to imagine the vile words that would be thrown behind her back—oops he bent his spoon. 

“And what have you been studying Lord Adrian?” 

It was the Elder Speaker, Adrian had to snap out of his anger and pay attention, because that’s what everyone else was doing, their eyes trained expectantly on him. 

“Uhm,” he started out so very confidently, “Many things. I try to study a little bit of everything.” But that was the wrong answer because another Speaker piped up and asked what subject he found to be most interesting. There was a playful smile that Sypha was failing to hide across the table, she seemed to be enjoying his stuttering. How evil.

“Currently I suppose it would be...theology and philosophy.” People around the table nodded approvingly, though his mother gave him a side-eye that only he noticed, knowing full well he hadn’t opened a philosophy book this year. And even the current philosophy scholar looked at him strangely. Six more days. That all he had to get through, he could fake it for six more days. 

He made it through soup and he made it through tea, waiting for people to begin spilling out of the room before he knocked his head against the table.

Lisa rolled her eyes, patting him on the shoulder, “There, there. I think. I don’t know what’s wrong with you though.” 

He groaned, rubbing his temples, “No more modern after this, correct?” 

“Not even a bit.” 

His father was up, surprisingly before four, arguing with the new gardeners about something. A conversation Adrian definitely did not want to interrupt, so he shuffled quietly to his father’s side in case the poor nymph gardener began looking like the next target for his father’s explosions. 

“Did anyone instruct you to prune the roses? I do not recall giving any such instruction, so when I am informed that someone has _pruned my roses_ , you can understand my upset.” 

Adrian felt the need to step in once his father had begun looming over the poor thing, it was always bad once Vlad started looming. Nothing good ever followed. 

“The _roses_!” Adrian exclaimed as loud as possible, hand on his forehead, “You're telling me my _roses_ are pruned! Father on all days, this is when you break the news?” The nymph gardener gave him a confused and frightened blink, to which Adrian just winked back, pushing the large form of his father away with all his strength. 

“You must show me the damage, I must see it with my own eyes!” His voice was beginning to both the rest of the staff in the hall but if it got his father out of a possibly homicidal scenario then there was no harm done. “Do you have a handkerchief, I fear my eyes are beginning to water?” 

But Vlad was just growling with his eyes in the distance, leaving Adrian to wonder if he had even noticed his son pulling him away. They walked and Adrian did the best of his ability to distract him from any questioning staff, signalling that this was very much not a time to be speaking with the head of the estate. 

“You know, I heard that Carmilla and Lissario got in a commotion last night over Da Vinci. Apparently Lissario did not appreciate her insinuating that he was the model for the Mona Lisa.” 

Even in his heavy face, the little huff of a laugh pulled up at the corners of his mustache, the only indicator that Vlad had heard him. 

“Precisely my thoughts, he looks much more like the Vitruvian man with his hair like that.” Adrian sat his father down by a fireplace, rigged up with a knob that turned to ignite the gas. “Not that I believe that either of them were in Italy during the Renaissance any how, that’s just too predictable.” 

His father huffed again, this time managing words, “Carmilla was stuck in Brazil for most of it. Lissario was too busy defiling the entire city of St. Peter during the fourteenth century.” 

Adrian nodded, running his hand over the fireplace mantle and examining the dust, “Disgusting father, thank you.” That just made the man in the chair laugh, warm glow of the fireplace the only light in the room, dark curtains pulled across the windows. “If I leave you here till the soiree do you promise not to murder any gardeners.” 

“So long as they don’t intend to prune my books next,” growled the vampire. Adrian shrugged, supposing that was about as good as he was going to get. 

Trevor kicked around the pile of clothes in his sack, hating just how many damn outfits people required nowadays. Because a soiree wasn’t as fancy as a party, which isn’t as fancy as a ball, but all of them fancier than a dinner party which itself is fancier than breakfast. “Fucking high society.” 

Nadine was lounging, flipping around a knife on the couch in he and Rafael’s room, already dressed in a simple coat and dress pants, tall shoes making the outfit more feminine but you could only do so much when all your family's garment money went to demon proofing. 

“You know, it’s not like they expect that much of us, just wear last night’s coat,” she suggested, flipping the weapon dangerously close to her face.

Trevor laughed, “Yes, Guess the first impressions didn’t go all that well.” 

Nadine shot up, knife delicately snatched in her hand, “Good god, I’m still pissed at him for that. We would have been here early but no, Rafael had to get into a bar fight with a damn golem. A golem! How does one even manage that Trevor? Lord, Garrett wasn’t a help either trying to chase them down. Ugh, it infuriates me.”

Trevor nodded, putting on the cleanest shirt he had, which wasn’t too clean anyway. He looked at himself in the mirror, noting that his stubble was beginning to get unruly. Messing with his hair, Trevor thought about what it must be like to have a style code to follow every day. Had to be exhausting. He liked having one good tunic to spend his time in, and there was no one more upset than he when Garrett invited them to the Tepes estate. Oh but he needed the strongest and most exceptional Belmonts, blah blah blah. It was protection in case he got himself in trouble and they knew it, the four of them. But it wasn’t respectable to say no to your elders, especially for Belmonts. 

“Wonder why someone would ever marry a vampire,” his twin mused absently, looking up at the ceiling. “It’s not like you’ll ever be happy. Can’t go out in public without shame, can’t participate in anything. Might as well be excommunicated,” laughed the young woman on the couch, even Trevor could resist a chuckle at their own misfortune. “But honestly, that Doctor seems like a smart woman, capable. And she chooses Dracula of all creatures? Guess if you're picking hell, you pick the richest route.” 

Trevor sighed at the window, unable to disagree. What a life they must live. Death, magic, and alienation. Nadine was right, their families might as well be related. 

Whatever a soiree was, it wasn’t anything Trevor liked. People dressed up, music was played but once again not in the ballroom, you save that for the big party. This was a half party, not like Trevor could tell the difference. The guests were still separated, blood suckers and blood on either side. The daring few that mingled were all residents of the estate. He kept himself beside his sister, eyes scanning the event. He didn't know what he was looking for exactly, but he couldn't not watch. Heavy glaces were thrown towards them from the opposite side, it didn't bother him much as long as everyone ended up alive. They could taunt all they liked, the Vampire Killer was still in the room and that certainly kept them at bay.

As his eyes passed over the crowd, he caught another glimpse of the ginger Speaker from earlier, enjoying conversation with some apprentices. The longer he looked the more he felt like her name was on the tip of his tongue along with a lingering memory of beer. Trevor lent over to his sister, who was enjoying the wine, "Are these Speakers familiar to you?"

She looked at him as if he'd spoken out of his eyebrows, "Are you serious?" Well he certainly wasn't joking, "Lord Trevor how drunk were you in Braila."

 _Braila_. Oh, Trevor thought. Of course. The necromancer in Braila. What a hunt, and what a way to end a hunt. "Shit," he muttered and peeled himself from the wall. It was quite dumb of him to forget, but it made sense that she would stand out through the foggy memories. 

Her eyes lit up when she saw him approaching, and he smiled to her, "Belnades."

She tilted her head, "I was wondering if you'd remembered me." The words stung but Trevor tried to push through it.

"Yes, please forgive me I wasn't in the best state the last we spoke."

Sypha excused herself from the whited hair student that Trevor had seen sparring Alucard earlier in the day. He pretended not to see the suspicious glare the man shot him. 

"It's been quite a while, Belmont. How are you?"

Her voice was cherry sweet but the guilt in his chest convinced him it was all for good manners. "Well. Very well," he cleared his throat trying to sputter out the right words. "I, well I feel the need to apologize after our last encounter. It was never my intention to disrespect you in any way or—"

"It was kissing, you were drunk," she gave a shrug, "I had been drinking as well. It's nothing to stress yourself for Belmont. I enjoyed hunting with you, let's leave the good memories there."

But he didn't, he wanted to make more of them, but Trevor settled on a sigh instead, "I enjoyed hunting with you too." The Speaker had a fire about her that lured him into trouble, quite literally a moth to the flame. 

The Speaker grinned with pride, "I admit I am quite surprised that you are here. It's a bit unorthodox."

Trevor huffed, glaring at the tallest vampire in the room, "The opposite in fact, in everyone's desperate attempts to be orthodox we've gone the absolute other direction and ended up here."

Sypha shook her head, eyes dancing in the electric blue of the lamps, "They are not that bad. Lord Tepes is very sweet, and very smart. He's a fine man." 

The way her words and eyes lingered on the blond made his spine shiver, a sinking stab within his ribs. He could see it, there were no attempts to hide the way she thought of him. Trevor just cursed himself, feeling a fool for getting his hopes up that maybe she'd like to work together one day. Perhaps pick up where they left off. With how open those eyes were, he doubted that was going to happen. 

So they went their separate ways, Trevor stalking off towards his sister. She knew not to pester him when he was angry so she just let him take a bottle of wine and slip out from the room, the party none the wiser. 

Except for Adrian of course, who saw the Belmont slide out of the room like a ghost. There was no good to be done with a missing Belmont roaming his castle. Adrian whispered to Hector who was at his side, "Make me an excuse. I'm going to go hunt a Belmont."


	4. Lords of Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the one with tension

The castle had a silence to it. During the night, it always left you feeling very much alone. The high ceilings and the winding corridors, it was haunted stone between you and the next soul. That can do things to a person after a while. Make one feel singular. Like there wasn’t anyone to come find you if you died right there. Always, the castle always left you feeling alone. 

But Trevor Belmont was not alone. 

There was a stalker in his midst. 

Adrian crept behind him, barest levitation that left his footprints inaudible. The man was heading towards the back of the castle, casting a glance over his shoulder every now and again, only to be greeted with nothing behind him. The blond would drift quietly down from the ceiling, wondering if the man could tell that he was being trailed. He supposed a hunter would understand how prey behaved, even if they cannot see their predator. But Adrian had no ill intention, only to find out what the man’s motives were. It was wildly more entertaining than small talk with Lenore, he trusted her even less than this Belmont. 

Trevor threw another glance, and before a soul could blink Adrian was in the rafters, peering down. He could hear the man’s heartbeat from here, not a bit louder than the regular, so Trevor either had no idea, or he was very good at lying. The brown haired man turned a corner that Adrian was all too familiar with, leaving the blond with even more questions. 

_ What could you want in the armory, _ he asked himself, slowly creeping from the rafters. The door was unlocked, though Adrian might have to fix that habit after tonight and with all the guests. In a perfect world you should never have to worry about your own invited persons trying to kill you but Adrian had never lived in a perfect world. 

The Belmont entered, glaring over his shoulder, wine bottle hitting the door, A room full of sharp edges was the least practical place to drink yourself into a stupor, and it only made Adrian fear more of this man’s behavior. He jumped down, hitting the ground without so much as a wind. 

Trevor walked down the steps, eyes raking over every display case in curiosity. The moment Trevor reached the floor, Alucard closed the door behind them with a startling  _ click _ . 

Belmont flipped around, hand on his whip and his eyes narrowed, “I knew someone was following me.” 

“Mhmm,” Adrian rumbled, “No you didn’t.” But now he did, and his heartbeat was thundering in Adrian’s ears, so loud he could practically smell it. 

“Tell me,” the blond slunk down the stone steps, arms crossed, he and the man’s eyes never breaking. “What respectable guest leaves a gathering to sneak his way into an uncommon room?” 

Trevor huffed, “What respectable host hunts a guest into a corner.” 

That just made Adrian scowl, “Hunting another person is something I would expect more from your lot. ” 

The Belmont tilted his head, “We’re not hunting you,” he chimed honestly. So honest that Adrian had the urge to believe him. Instead the blond just gestured around them.

“And so you’ve found yourself in a room of death, for what, the atmosphere?” He eyed the wine bottle, “To end yourself?” 

Trevor took a hard look at the wine in his hand before letting his shoulders fall in defeat, the man chuckled out a response, “If I told you that I had a glimpse of the walls earlier would you believe me? Can you blame someone with the collection you have?” 

Adrian didn’t have to count the weapons, he’d memorized their positions years ago, old Belmont whips hanging behind the current one in the room, like trophies. 

The blond swallowed, arms tight across his chest, “I’d say that’s a pathetic excuse. I never took you for pathetic.” 

“Ah,” the older man sighed, “Then what  _ do  _ you take me for?”

Adrian narrowed his own eyes, leaning up against the stone wall, only half way down the steps, “I take you as a pretty poor hunter, to be frank.” 

Trevor lifted his shoulders, “My family’s pride and joy, I’m afraid.” 

A smile twitched at the corner of his lips, “So I don’t have any reason to worry then.” 

Some sort of shadow cast itself over the Belmont’s eyes, his hands flexing, “I wouldn’t say that come a couple days.” The night's shadows were getting longer across the room, large windows exposing the moonlight.

Adrian blinked, studying the man’s words before realizing their meaning. It gave him a laugh, “I see. You're planning to duel me.” 

“Don’t take it personally, I didn’t volunteer.” 

“It seems no one does here anymore.” 

Silence invaded the space between them and their words, the man’s heart no longer in fear, now there was just the sense of waiting. Waiting for something, but neither seemed to know. Was it for a fight? Was it for more pointed words? How long could they stand here in friction before someone would notice the missing parties. 

Trevor was the first to move, tearing open the wine with his teeth to begin wandering around the room, eyes on the walls. Adrian continued to watch the man, ready to spring into action if need be. But the Belmont just looked, gears moving in his head perhaps but he couldn’t tell. If Adrian was gifted nothing else this week, he would love to just figure out what in the world was going on in this man’s head. But Trevor stopped on the case that was carefully displayed with his family crest, hand running over the leather. 

“It is a beautiful sword,” Adrian called, “I did mean that.” And from far away Trevor nodded, delicately unlatching the case to reveal the masterpiece beneath. 

His fingers traced the edges, “My uncle almost sold it to get out of a bar fight so, be thankful it made it here,” Trevor looked over his shoulder to the blond standing on the stairs, just watching. 

Adrian huffed, eyes rolled, “I fear I’m not surprised.” Trevor shrugged.  “Why did they choose you?” he called down to the man, curious thoughts flying by. 

The brunette looked at him, an unreadable expression in his eyes. “I don’t know,” was all he whispered.

“Are you special?” asked Adrian, pushing himself off the wall harshly from all the tension that he had been broiling. “More proficient than the rest?” He made his way closer to the man, “Talented beyond your tutor’s dreams?” 

They were face to face, eye to eye, the space between them thick. Once again it was a challenge. Who was going to move first? This time it was Adrian, who pulled his sword to his hand without a movement, and pointed the tip to Trevor’s throat. 

“Fight me,” commanded the vampire. There was a twitch of a smile on the Belmont’s features, the man's hand already resting on his whip. “Or do you need the audience?” prodded the blond. 

Trevor’s electric eyes were as blue as the moonlight behind him, “I have no intention of killing a man in his own home.” 

_ Intention _ , that’s all Adrian wanted from him. 

“I have no intention of dying, so fight me Belmont. Give me a reason to enjoy this night.”

The whip was unrolled, tip curled to the floor, “There are other ways to get enjoyment out of me, Tepes.”

He didn’t care much for the joke, instead he tested a swipe with his sword, and Trevor snapped the whip at his feet, exactly as he expected him to. They were circling now, like cats, like monsters. He hadn’t had a real fight in years, but lord forbid people know that he could be just as much of an adrenaline junkie as the next person. 

“Don’t you have a party to be attending?” sneered the man across from him, preparing his whip for another strike. 

Adrian smiled, “I’m taking care of a guest at the moment,” and another daring slash. The man dodged, and countered with his whip. He carefully avoided the hit by transporting himself back.

“Why do you want to fight?” Trevor asked curiously. 

Adrian glared at the man between the fallen strands of his undone hair, “If you had planned to kill me this week I don’t glean a point in waiting.” 

He blocked the Belmont's strikes with the flat of his sword, careful to keep sharp posture as they moved.  _ His first Belmont _ , the vampires down the hall would be so proud. Trevor moved like water, his whip never pausing and so Adrian never paused. He floated round the man catching him off guard, but that bullwhip had gotten a bite of skin more than once. It only pinched, he assumed the other man wasn't in it for force tonight, but that was fine for neither was Adrian. He just needed to know who was sleeping in his home.

"You've got skill," Adrian hummed, swiping at back. 

But the Belmont moved, shifting the momentum of his whip to snap around and nearly catch his foot.

"Are you this nice to all your enemies?" laughed Trevor. He threw his whip around Adrian's sword, attempting to pull it from his hands. The blond narrowed his eyes, wondering how someone could misjudge strength so disastrously, as he gave a good tug that ripped the whip right from Trevor's hands. Adrian couldn't help but smile at the feared look on the other man's face. 

A rapier once again pointed at his throat, "I never said we were enemies Belmont, you're just an impolite guest."

The man chuckled, "Perhaps don't leave your doors open if you don't want people coming through."

Adrian blinked, shocked back into his head.  _ The door was open. _ Not just this door, but to his father's study. Sypha said the door was open. Unlocked. His father would never, so who would?  _ The door was open… _

The blond was knocked from his thoughts, sword clattering out of his hand as he hit the wood floor with a heavy thud, Belmont poised above him with a knee in his ribs. At first there was a disgusting triumphant grin upon the man's features, but it quickly fell as Adrian continued to get caught up in his own spiral of thoughts.

"You mucking out on me, Tepes?" 

But he barely registered the man's words. He needed to talk to Sypha. He needed to talk to staff, why in hell's name would someone leave a room with such valuable and dangerous knowledge  _ open _ ? 

"Honestly," Trevor added with worry, "is your head damaged?" 

Adrian finally snapped himself back to the current situation, worry in his bones now. Something wasn't right and he knew it. But for right now, a man's knee was pressing into his ribs. 

Adrian growled, noise rumbling low in his chest as he promptly flipped to pin Trevor down. The man hit the ground with an  _ umph,  _ looking dazed. All of Adrian's weight and strength was being used to immobilize the Belmont, making sure that he wasn't getting away without a fight. From this close, the man's heartbeat was deafening, making his mouth water with wishes of something more vile than grappling here on the floor, teeth caged behind lips. 

"Do you yield, Belmont?"

But the man just gave an angry chuckle, "Bet you've always wanted to say that."

Adrian cocked his head, taking time to study the scar along the man's face while he spoke, "Would it bother you that I've never feared the Belmonts? That you've never been worth fearing?" It was quite healed, the mark, cutting through his brow but little damage to the actual eye. He was lucky then. It made him think of his own slash, decorating his chest. How it remained after all these years. Adrian wanted to know what happened, but this was not a position in which to ask that delicate of a question. 

In fact, their positioning was scandalous indeed with Adrian straddling the man and pinning his arms. That fact seemed to dawn on them both, the battle was over. Now what?

"If you never feared me," muttered the man beneath him, "Then why did you follow me?" 

Adrian furrowed his brows, but only for a second. He didn't want the Belmont to know that he didn't quite have a response ready. But it was too late, he had given the man an opening,

"Was your party too boring or am I too pretty?"

Adrian recoiled, but didn't let go of his arms, not entirely sure why. "My god you really think you're funny don't you?" Maybe he liked the verbal fight they had moved to instead, made much more interesting with Trevor laid back in a losing position.

Trevor shrugged, with the little range of motion he had, "You haven't gotten off of me yet, wouldn't this damage your reputation?" 

Adrian scoffed, pushing off the man to glare down on him. He supposed all good things must come to an end. Trevor stumbled up as well, laughing and heading towards the wine bottle that had been set down. 

"Is it a habit of yours, to damage them?" hissed the vampire, who's hair was pitifully messed up from all the fighting. Fine clothes pushed and wrinkled like that had been going something sinful.

A swing of wine before he spoke, "Only fair maidens like yourself."

He'd grown tired of responding to the man's jabs with effort, and only passed him a high middle finger in retort. But it couldn't help him thinking, he really should be more careful about the amount of time he was spending alone with people for the next week, before an old crone decided that he had defiled her grandchild and demand marriage as rectification. 

"Do you mind leaving now, I do have business to attend."

Trevor shrugged, coiling up his whip, "Did you get what you wanted? Fighting me?" 

Adrian had knocked open the door for the Belmont to exit, arms crossed impolitely, "I believe I did, I understand who you are Trevor Belmont."

The brunette man squared up to Adrian in the threshold, eyes narrowed, "And what am I to you now,  _ Alucard _ ?" His tone was daring, luring as a bait almost. Perhaps he wasn't as bad of a hunter as Adrian had thought, as he successfully caught the truth in his trap.

"A honest man," the blond muttered, noting that while Trevor was shorter, their faces were quite close in the small doorway. 

There it was again, the challenge in the air. Who was going to move? This time it was much more precarious, because the challenge wasn't an angry one anymore, and he couldn't help but find himself curious as the bravado of this man. The air was still, and the hallway dark, blue light painted from the armory windows. They just studied each other for that moment it seemed.

And then Trevor smiled, taking another sip of his wine, "You don't seem like much of a bad man yourself, Tepes. For a vampire of course." He began strolling away, not looking over his shoulder as he spoke, "Can see why she likes you."

Adrian pinched his brows, wondering who he could be talking about, before promptly heading the opposite way, back to the party. He saw no need in worrying about  _ that _ particular Belmont anymore this evening.

"Adrian,  _ where _ have you been?" His mother's voice was tight as she drug him by the arm into the room, "I've been stuck trying to keep the Styrian Sisters at bay before they take a bite of one of my nephews. What's happened to your coat?" 

Adrian looked at his side, where a noticeable rip had been made from the tip of a bull whip, "Rose bush?"

Lisa rolled her eyes, "Did you hear they pruned the roses?" 

"Father nearly ate a gardener, don't let me start." 

He and his mother shared a chuckle, though he was sure he was not forgiven for leaving her alone. Most of the people had begun to bow out, and the music had slowed, leaving the room a majority vampiric. He noticed however that most of the Speakers remained, one in particular.

"She's a smart one," Lisa mused, following her son's line of sight. Adrian smiled despite being caught.

"Yes," he murmured. Watching her eyes vivid in conversation with some alchemy apprentices.

His mother hummed, "But do your best to be a little more discrete if you two decide to take up some more  _ reading. _ "

"I've arranged for a magic lesson with her tomorrow, do I require an escort," he sneered sarcastically. He really rather be alone with her tomorrow, if only to question her about the open door. It was midday, the sun at its highest, he couldn't imagine why a vampire would be up. Trevor was effectively ruled out purely based on his behavior. So who then? 

Lisa sighed, "Perhaps just notify some older guests and leave the door wide. Hell forbid you have your first scandal on your birthday."

Adrian just gave a weak nod in response, mind tallying off the people in the room. Unfortunately most of the human's had gone, though Hector was still here and chatting to a certain short vampire. 

"Oh, fu…dear," Adrian censored himself beside his mother but she still questioned the exclamation. "Hector's about to make another poor romantic decision." 

Lisa looked towards his friend, who had that wispy stare while speaking to Lenore, she snorted in her drink. "Keep me very updated, that looks like a tragedy in waiting." 

"Of course mother."

In the second floor salon there was blood stored in cold canisters of his father's design, most of it animal but some willing donations from heavily compensated staff. The vampires gathered, his mother long bowed out for the night, which left just he and his father to observe. Though the old man was in deep conversation with Striga about something ancient and violent for sure. Adrian was up against a bookshelf just watching. Particularly Hector, who was stuck at Lenore's side. 

It didn't sit right with him, but Hector had a history of not listening to anyone's advice so it was useless to even try and speak to him about it. The man's dog however was having a field day from the attention he was getting in the salon. Many a vampire fascinated by him. Cezer bounded his way to Adrian, happily picking the decomposed pug right in his arms. 

"Your master's making bad decisions again, Cezer." He cooed to the dog in his arms, "What do we think about that?" The animal gave a friendly bark, tail in hyperdrive. The staff loved Hector's animals, the humans not so much. "My thoughts precisely, little man." 

"Lord Tepes," he turned to see Morgana of Styria approaching, decorated in the finest of jewels. He gave a polite smile, letting Cezer scamper off to Hector. 

"Madam Morgana, looking beautiful this evening."

She dismissed the compliment, swirling blood in her goblet, "So good mannered here in Wallachia, makes me feel like a brute."

Adrian chuckled, hands behind his back, "No need to feel uncomfortable, formalities have always shifted with the times."

She cocked her head, "But you know so little of that. So young and so wise. You've never experienced a century, quite strange in our community."

He swallowed the exposure he felt, understanding very seriously that he was practically an infant to these people. Hopefully his discomfort didn't show, "I take pride in my learning, though first hand experience is always the better teacher."

The woman nodded, vivid blue eye-shadow that would get her very much in trouble in human society, "It is not meant to offend. Just an observation. Your birthday is tomorrow though, I remember news of your birth as if it was yesterday. Time can feel so different."

Adrian offered another pursed smile, "Yes, I am still surprised that this many of the community arrived, birthdays must seem frivolous to you."

The woman in gold shrugged, sparkling in the firelight, "But it is an event, and we cannot resist an excuse to dress up, as I've noticed over the years." 

That did make him let out a soft laugh, the woman continuing, "Do you not partake in blood?" She must have noticed his empty hands. Yet another distinction from him and the others in the room. 

Adrian cleared his throat, "Not...frequently, no. The hunger is rarely there. Perhaps tomorrow for the celebration I may indulge." And he hoped that satisfied her questions, as explaining the tricks he had developed to keep his thirst at bay wasn't on tonight's schedule. 

Thankfully, the woman nodded, taking a sip from her own goblet. "You are a well natured man, Lord Dracula has raised you well. I must confess not many were confident in your survival when we heard your mother was expecting. But what a fine man you've become, people like to steal that. I will hope you do not let them." And with that she sauntered over to some others playing an ancient card game at the table, and leaving Adrian very tired and very alone in the room. His only friend quickly falling for the charms of a pretty smile. 

Adrian bit his cheek, deciding enough was enough and that if Hector stayed up any longer than he would be in heaps of trouble the next morning for tardiness. He made his way over and politely interrupted their little bubble. 

"Madam Lenore, looking very gorgeous tonight. I see you've met my younger friend Hector, has he mentioned that he is studying under Master LaForgé for veterinary practice. What a choice, you know some say the ones too dumb to practice real medicine work with animals. Anyhow, as I mentioned he is a  _ student _ and has responsibilities in the morn, so he really should be heading to bed now." 

Adrian hauled his very angry friend up by the shoulder, using his strength to pull him away. Even Lenore was giving him a sharp look, but he ignored it with a smile, "Well I'll just take poor young Hector here to his room,  _ it's by the stables _ ," he added in a whisper and gave a fake look of disgust. "Have a delightful evening Miss, do look forward to seeing you at the ball tomorrow."

Once out of the room, Hector tore himself away from the blond's grasp, "The fuck was that for Adrian." 

Fire was burning in those silver eyes but he could care less, "Listen to me friend, Lenore of Styria is not a woman you want to be companions with."

Hector scoffed, marching down towards his room, "And who says that." 

"My instincts say that, and your bad habit of  _ ignoring _ those instincts agree." He followed the fuming Hector, only a little upset he ruined his night. 

The silver haired man whipped around as quick as Adrian had ever seen him, "You know, I trust you more than anyone, but that doesn't give you dominion over my life, Adrian." 

It made him rear back a bit, sinking feeling in his stomach, and Hector shook his head, "What you did back there. That was too far, my friend…" his voice was a whisper, and he walked off alone into the castle night. 

And once again, the pressure from the walls came closer. The castle did what the castle always does, it left him feeling very alone in that hallway, watching his only friend disappear with anger. Fuck it, he’d had entirely too much of this night and set off for the greenhouse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to hear what you guys are thinking about this fucking weird ass AU, I've got a direction im finally set in leading this story to so i'm super excited to get more chapters out soon


	5. Lordless in the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> or the one I will not apologize for

What’s a man to do in a vampire’s castle? 

Wander. 

Aimlessly and endlessly; wine long drunk. Trevor wandered after leaving the armory, and more specifically, Alucard. What an odd man, he continued to think. Odd man indeed. But strong, the soreness on his arms, from where the vampire’s hands had pinned him, was sure to leave bruises. Trevor cracked his sore neck, somehow finding himself outside, which was strange because he was so sure this was the way to his room, but no, there was the greenhouse. “Well shit.”

It was a gorgeous night however, the stars sprinkling across the horizon, narrent a cloud to muddle their shine. And the moon, a perfect crescent smile gleaming down on the silvery garden. Beautiful, and delightfully not cold. Trevor never cared much for summer, but this was as good a night as any to get lost in a garden. 

But it seemed he was not alone beneath the stars, for there was a clattering off to his side, and out ran a Speaker from the other side of a pathway, seeming to be chasing something. 

“Sypha?” He questioned to himself before darting off to follow her. The moonlight played tricks on her hair, and made her evening robe glow bluer than ever before. She was calling out to something, but he was always two steps behind, and more than once she magicked herself over a hedge. Fine, he thought, he’d just circle around and meet her on the other side. 

Her laughter filled the empty bushes of the garden, harmonizing with the crickets and the fireflies. He followed that sound, taking a deliberate turn that left him exactly where they had started by the greenhouse. And then out came something from the bushes, followed closely by a Speaker.

It was a small thing, unnatural glowing eyes, and a very obvious lack of face on one side. It was a dog, but not one that should be alive. The thing bounded right up to him, tail moving furiously and its tongue flopping out. The thing looked...happy. 

Sypha ran up and snatched the beast from Trevor’s feet, “Ha ha! You’ve been caught, little monster.” She rubbed behind it’s only remaining ear, the creature giving an appreciative bark. Trevor was the last thing the woman noticed, “Oh. Hello. Was it you that was following me?” 

He huffed, only a little out of breath, “You heard me and didn’t stop?” 

“I assumed you were his owner, thought perhaps you were trying to catch him as well,” the woman offered a shrug, smiling at the dog. 

Trevor was apprehensive, knowing that only dark forces could reanimate the dead, “So that’s not yours?” 

Sypha shook her head, playing with it’s boney paw, “Saw it run past in the hall, isn’t it brilliant? I heard there was a forgemaster in the castle, but to see a creation. Magnificent!” 

“Sure,” Trevor muttered, “that's a word for it.” He squinted around the garden, neatly trimmed and meticulously sectioned herb patches. He couldn’t grow a twig even if he tried. 

“Is that Doctor Tepes’ greenhouse?” Sypha exclaimed, laying eyes on the large glass building. Trevor glanced over his shoulder, providing his own shrug. He hadn’t been privy to that part of the estate tour, too busy with a certain vampire. “I want to go see,” she decided firmly. 

“Wait, Sypha. They don’t take to trespassing very much here,” he tried to stop her but the woman was already marching her way towards the structure. He really had no choice but to follow.

She laughed, “I know, I’ve already been scolded once for it today. But if they don’t want people snooping they should really lock their doors.” 

Trevor sighed in relief, maybe he wasn’t the only one going mad, “Exactly, thank you.” 

The door was cracked open, the ‘dog’ in her arms began to squirm as they approached, barreling it’s way through the crevice. Sypha led out scolding sounds, hopping in after it. The ceilings were high, tall and colorful trees reaching near to the tops. Intricately labeled pots and planters were stacked in rows, the whole space feeling a little too warm for his liking. The air was sticky sweet and thick with warmth.

The vampire was a surprising feature though. 

Silver painted his face, his hair the precise shade of moonlight. He was lounging on one of the wooden shelves by the corner, plants caringly shoved aside. The window was tilted open by his face, smoke wafting out from his breath. His new acquaintance noticed the dog first as well, smiling as the pup rushed up to him, before laying eyes on Trevor and Sypha across the way. The darkness that Trevor had seen before was back again, Alucard staring at them beneath heavy brows, the man tightened his jaw. 

But the blond took another drag of his smoke before speaking, “If you were looking for a place to fuck, I can leave.” 

Trevor reared back, something obviously off about the man now. He had seemed so collected earlier in the night, this was entirely different. What could have possibly happened in the few hours since they had last seen each other?

“Adrian!” Sypha exclaimed, “Is that a hallucinogenic cigarette?” Trevor narrowed his own eyes at the Speaker. Why’d she get to call him Adrian?

Whatever his name was, the blond chuckled, twiddling the wrapped herb in his hand, “Not really. Just an edge off the nerves. And the hunger, but mainly for nerves.” He tilted it their way, “Tastes like honey if you want to try.” 

Sypha plucked the smoke from his gloved fingers, snuffing the bundle, “What is it?” she asked scientifically. 

“Little bit of this, a bit of that,” Alucard shrugged, eyes out the window, “Botanist ran by here a couple years ago. She showed me a recipe, among other things. It won't hurt you.” 

Sypha just continued to inspect it, and the dog sniffled around precariously positioned plants. Trevor was half tempted to pick it up just so it didn’t end up breaking some centuries old petunia. 

“Why do you need to calm your nerves?” The Speaker asked, passing the hand wrapped cigarette back to the blond on the plant bench. He stared at the thing in his hands, the look of unhappy reminiscing as he thought. 

Alucard shook his head, “It’s not anything to concern yourself with. I appreciate your worry.” He flicked his eyes between the two of them, “The offer still stands if I need to make my exit for you two.” 

The Speaker laughed, hopping up on the shelf with him, “Not in his wildest dreams.” 

“Well that’s a little...harsh,” Trevor grumbled, his arms crossed in offense. He had really thought they had a connection some time ago. Even if it was just a fleeting one. But there wasn’t much that he had that Alucard didn’t. Certainly not the hair. Or the clothes. But at least he could stand the sun. 

She shrugged playfully, furrowing her brows at the vampire, “You still look very stressed, Adrian.” 

The blond rested the back of his head against the glass, sighing out a smokey breath. He was right, the sweet smell Trevor had noticed was from the cigarette wafting through the greenhouse. 

“I do not handle politics very well, not the life I wish to lead. Unfortunately, that is all vampires seem to desire conversations about.” 

Trevor could understand that, “Can’t say all the logistics of bloodsucking must be fun to listen to after a while. Who would have guessed?” 

Alucard barely put effort into the pointed glare he shot at Trevor, taking another honey-sweet drag. “And how often are you stuck listening to the latest monster hunting story at your dinner table, Belmont?” 

“Often,” Trevor twitched, “it’s just retellings of the same one from senile old hunters.” The two on the bench laughed, and despite his uncomfortability, Trevor rested up against one of the sturdy shelves. 

“We always have new stories,” Sypha sounded wistful. "Sometimes Arn will try and tell one, but no one can follow him even if they asked a djinn three times to understand.” 

Trevor chuckled, “What happens to a Speaker with stage fright then?” 

“He drives the cart,” Alucard mused with a lazy smile, finishing the famous joke that all kids pick up somehow. Trevor refused to grin, maybe he and the bastard weren't all that different. Sypha rolled her eyes, snatching the smoke from the vampire’s fingers.

“Perhaps if I have this then both of you will magically become funny.” 

“Mhmm,” Trevor warned, “Pretty sure that’s another plant.” 

Alucard just raised his brows in silent response, peeking at a pocket watch from his coat. He frowned, giving an audible gulp. 

“Something you didn’t want to see on that clock?” Trevor prodded. The man was still scowling at the watch in his hand, thumb running over the golden trinket. 

“I suppose it’s my birthday now.” He set his eyes on the two others by him, “Assumed I’d be here alone when it happened.” 

The Speaker shook her head, taking a small puff from the wrap before puckering her face, “You seem to want to be alone a lot.” 

Both of the men grinned at her reaction, and Alucard delicately took back the cigarette, “This place has always been busy, but never like this. I’m realizing I prefer smaller company.” His eyes landed on Sypha again, “However company this small is entirely indecent. As was furiously pointed out to me.” 

The woman sighed, “You people and your rules. I don’t think I’ll ever understand them.” 

Trevor huffed, “We must be in the same boat, I’ve been trying my whole life and aristocracy still baffles me.”

Alucard blew sweet smoke out the open window, "It seems we're all in agreement."

Sypha hooked her arm around the vampire's, her sleeping robes much thinner than the regular ones, and the form of her slender figure was barely visible in the dark. 

"Happy birthday again, even if you planned on celebrating it alone. With the plants." 

Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but Trevor was sure he could see the man blushing at the woman's blatant touch. How endearing. Maybe she liked aristocratic men more. Trevor twitched his face, trying not to think too much more about it. 

"Thank you Miss Belnades."

The girl tossed her arms, "How many times? It's Sypha. Always Sypha."

Trevor hummed, "Sure then, Always Sypha." Her rosy lips pursed, giving up on her corrections. 

"You never explained why you were in the gardens, Belmont."

The blond pinched his brows together, "So you didn't wander here together then." 

Sypha shook her head, gesturing to the dog who had rested itself beneath a shelf, glowing eye closed, "I was chasing him. He," her hand motioned to Trevor, "just appeared." 

Alucard gave an appreciative smile at the rotting pet, “Yes, Cezer enjoys going for runs. One time I chased him till his paw fell off. Hector had to reattach that.” 

Trevor glared at the animal, it’s otherworldly origins giving him the shivers, “More of a cat person myself.” 

Sypha laughed, “With the utmost respect, you would be Belmont.” Alucard's aurelian eyes continued to dance between them. 

“So when did you two become acquainted?” 

The Speaker tilted her head, an amused smile as she studied Trevor. God that smile could do things to his head, just like it had done before so long ago. Maybe the memories were closer for her, but all Trevor could remember after the hunt was their celebration in the tavern, and then behind the tavern. Remember the enthusiasm of her words, the fire of her hands. And then, he just remembered their touches stopping. Leaving each other to some separate life. He wondered if he did anything wrong. 

“A bit ago, in Braila. Hunted a necromancer.” 

Alucard turned his attention to Sypha inquisitively. That’s how they always seemed to look at each other, like new science experiments. “I was under the assumption that Speakers did not hunt.” 

Trevor chuckled, eye on his flame, “They don’t.” He said pointed and impolite. “But Miss Always-Sypha is a bit of a trouble maker.” 

Something danced in her eyes, a little twitch of something sinister in the best way. Perhaps all wasn’t lost for Trevor, the pathetic moth. Alucard twiddled his shortening cigarette between his fingers, the man probably lost in thought. It seemed they all were. Out there in the middle of the night, beneath a glass roof. With the room that smelled like honey, and made Trevor’s shirt stick to his body with sweat. It was a wonder how Alucard stayed so heavily clothed. Perhaps a vampire thing. The dog scampered at their heels every once and a bit as they talked. The conversation going nowhere, just as they seemed to be directionless. All deciding to stay alone in the greenhouse. 

Trevor had migrated to sitting on the floor, reluctantly the victim of the Cezer’s affections as he rested up against the metal leg of the shelves. They’d laugh quietly, all to themselves and all lost in their own thoughts. He’d stare up at the two on the bench, half tempted to worm his way between them selfishly. 

“You fought!” Sypha exclaimed, knee to her chest. 

Alucard shrugged, “Wasn’t much of a fight, mainly Belmont losing.” 

Trevor scrunched his face, “Perhaps next time I’ll fight you with my fists and see how that goes for you.” 

“Boys, boys, Let us just admit the truth here,” Sypha said with the air of a preacher, “ _I_ would beat both of you.” 

Alucard arched a sharp brow, “Both of us?” Sypha nodded with a smile, repeating her words. Trevor gave a silent nod to himself, believing her completely. The dog had flopped itself over his lap, panting in delight. The Belmont was getting to the end of his energy, and Trevor just let his eyes close as he scratched behind the dog’s ear; half listening to the conversation of the people above him. 

Sypha peered down at the seemingly asleep man on the floor, “Do you think he’s comfortable down there?” 

Adrian tilted his head, Cezer and the Belmont fast asleep. He shrugged, but the Speaker was intrigued, sliding down to the floor to scratch the dog quietly, cooing as it’s tail gave quiet thumps. She motioned for Adrian to follow, and being the own victim of sleepiness he drifted down to pet the dog. 

“You said Hector made him?” And the blond nodded, Sypha musing. “Intriguing. You know forgemasters are so rare, the talk of one here was everywhere.” 

He nodded, resting up like Trevor was against the bench leg, “Use to be invaluable to vampire lords centuries ago, for wars.” Adrian would never admit that his eyes were nearly closed as he spoke, “Hector’s good, but in need of practice. And possibly never speaking to me again,” he grumbled, heart stabbing at the recollection of Hector’s face earlier. The simple betrayal. He hoped the man was drunk, but then again he was a little high so maybe he was reading into everything. 

“Is that why you were so sad,” Sypha whispered, gently caressing a now sleeping pet. Her head tilted and long neck exposed, the smooth skin looking perfectly ethereal in the light. Adrian couldn’t help but stare in his state of mind. “What happened, if I may ask."

Humming as his agreement, Adrian shifted, “Do you ever have the feeling that you are experiencing events in life, for no reason at all?” Sypha’s face told her that no, she did not have that feeling and Adrian attempted to explain. 

“As if, there is no future. No plan to work towards. No profession, no direction. The feeling that the world moves and you stand still, going nowhere,” he blinked at his hand, wishing he could hold Sypha’s like she had so long ago. Yesterday. “The feeling that makes you lie on a greenhouse floor all night with a beauty and a hunter.” 

Sypha gave a delicate smile, “I assume I’m the hunter.” 

Adrian closed his eyes, not even registering that yes, their hands were touching, he was just too tired to notice. “Yes, Miss Sypha Belnades, most fearsome monster hunter in all of Wallachia. Well from what I’ve heard based on anecdotal reports.” 

She laughed, and maybe he laughed, time losing its grip. Words losing their grip. "I suppose that feeling caused me to misjudge my responsibilities as a friend earlier this evening..."

But the girl didn't verbalize a response, brows just knitted in her apology. Adrian waved it off, changing the subject to something he couldn't remember and their words drifted along from there. He didn’t notice when Sypha laid herself down at the bottom of Trevor’s legs for a pillow, and when Adrian threw his coat over her with closed eyes Didn't notice when he and the Belmont nudged closer to lean upon the other. He couldn’t remember any part of when events occurred, or in what order, just that they had happened. Moving like zombies, the three shifted until all of them, and Cezer, found a position to sleep peacefully in that night. 

_“Maria,” Adrian cracked open the door to the botanist's claimed study, two doors away from his mother’s greenhouse. “Are you there?”_

_“Right here,” called a sweet voice from the corner, nose stuck in a book stack that hid her from view. He smiled, her golden hair gleaming against the sun. Adrian made his way over to the young woman, only a year his senior._

_“Is there a reason you’ve barricaded yourself back here?” He stood taller to see over her impressive structure of books. Her notebook was smeared with hastily written notes and equations, diagrams that were scrawled on the page’s bias. Her cheeks were always red, and even more inflamed from being caught like a dragon in her hoard._

_She could help but grin. “I’m working on a recipe,” she explained with tight lips. Adrian removed a couple of volumes from her wall to rest his arms along it, peering down at the woman. He was waiting for her to continue, but she didn’t seem to catch on for a while. “For you, in particular. Though it might help others.”_

_Adrian narrowed his eyes, “For me?” His voice was a whisper of suspicion, nearly glaring down at the young botanist. “Why for me?”_

_Her mouth opened once or twice to explain, though nothing fell out and it just left her gaping like a confused fish. The woman took a deep breath to compose herself, beginning slowly, “You mentioned your stress, about feeding and about situations that are painful as such. I believe I may have discovered something that could...curb, that stress.”_

_He had no words to respond with, and her eyes widened in fear, this time her mouth moving at quite the speed. “You see I have to tinker with the proper dosages, and I have yet to configure the best way to administer this concoction but I believe that it can be a patentable medicine if I do this right.”_

_“For vampires,” he breathed and she shook her head, standing up from her chair._

_“No, no for others as well. Lycans and similar beings who experience these painful urges. Though trials will need to be run before I could dream of introducing it to the world of medicine.”_

_Adrian stared at her, lips parted in awe. Awe of the absolute brilliance of the woman in front of him, stunned by her intellect and floored at the thought that she had done this for him. A painful warmth in his chest just at the thought. “Maria…you didn’t have to_ _—”_

_The blonde shook her head, “No I did. I wanted to because...well. Because I care for you Adrian.” Her emerald eyes sparkled at him with such sincerity it could rip him in two. “I care for your well-being and your health. And—” She surged up to capture his lips._

_The most featherlight feeling in the world, the soft cushion of her lips and the delicate flutter of her closed eyes. She kissed him right over that ridiculous stack of books she had acquired, stealing his breath as she pulled away. “—and I think I love you.”_

_He stood stunned, in an absolute daze, there for a while. She looked even more gorgeous now, blush harder on her round cheeks and a soft glisten on her lips. Her eyes were open in fear about as open as anyone’s eyes could possibly be. Adrian was trying to tell his body to move instead of continuing to make a fool of himself but there was surprise rooting him to that very spot._

_“Oh dear, oh no. I’m so sorry,” she had her hand covering her mouth and worry bled into her every move._

_Just move you idiot, but his feet remained firmly planted against his will. Maria shook her head muttering to herself in fear as she rounded the stack to head towards the door. But he couldn’t let her go, not like that. In a split second Adrian shifted himself to the door, it politely slammed behind him with a very startled Maria staring mere inches from his face._

_“No,” he whispered, “I apologize. I—that’s never happened before.”_

_“Oh,” she cried, “I never meant to do that. I’m so sorry,”_

_He shook his head desperately, taking her wrists in his hands to bring them close, “No please. I’ve just. Never been kissed. Unpracticed in the mannerisms of appropriate response.” Adrian brushed a golden strand from her face, her hands resting on his chest. “Perhaps we can try again.”_

_This kiss was just as soft, just as delicate. She felt like the warmth of a spring morning as he drew her in closer. The green cap she wore fell deftly to the floor as all hope was lost into the embrace. Adrian just wanted her closer, wanted their skin to kiss just like their lips. She wrapped an arm behind him to pull him closer still. And empty space between them was starvation. Close is all they needed. He wanted her sunlight on his skin, no fear of being burnt by the softness of her body. She was all soft, all preciously wrapped in velvet touch. He kissed her on the table, the beautiful scientist of his laid across the wood and him protecting her. Everything felt so natural he could have been sure it was a dream, this vision of beauty kissing him like she was trying to breathe him in for survival. He drew his hands through her dark gilded locks, knowing he would never forget Maria in his arms._

A chill was blossoming on his forehead, almost like cold water beginning to drip, the contrast from his skin’s own searing heat pulling him out of sweet memories. His eyes had to adjust to the brightness of the room, Sypha’s two fingers pressing to his skin with an icy touch, the girl looking supremely drowsy herself. Adrian shifted, his head leaning on a tough shoulder as Sypha muttered, “Too hot.” 

He wondered how she had gotten ice to press against his skin as he wiped away cold water. Lords, he was hot, his skin feeling far too warm for comfort. Adrian grunted, sitting himself up and feeling all the nasty ways his body was upset with him after sleeping so awkwardly, Memory of the night previous escaped him initially, Sypha rubbing her eyes open as the man next to him began shifting awake. 

“S’going on?” Trevor mumbled, equally as confused. 

Adrian unbuttoned the top few closures of his dress shirt, the sauna of the greenhouse nearly making him suffocate. Sypha had forgone the coat he laid on her, squinting up at the trees above them. “What time is it?” 

He swallowed the dryness of a morning throat, finding difficulty in fishing his pocket watch out of his pants. Closing one eye to remove the glare from the sun, Adrian’s heart leapt in his throat at the clock face. He jumped up, head swimming from moving too quickly and he found himself relying on the shelf for support, “Eleven.” 

“Eleven?” grumbled the Belmont, twisting to crack his undoubtedly sore back. “Like one one?” Sypha stretched her arms up high, fingers twiddling with ice shards and her face red from one side of sleeping. Adrian rubbed his hot skin, swearing at himself for the burn that should have been avoided. He hadn’t gotten a sunburn in years. The icy touch of the Speaker began to seem more and more delightful. 

Trevor grunted, yawning and mumbling, taking Adrian’s hand to help him up, a glint of comradery in the gesture that might have come from sleeping atop his shoulder. Adrian offered Sypha a hand up as well, the thin Speaker brushing a hand through her thick curls. 

“Oh Adrian your skin,” she cooed, coming closer to inspect. 

He closed his eyes, bending towards her cooling touch, “How red am I?” 

Trevor huffed beside him, Adrian could only assume with his arms crossed, “Have you ever seen freshly boiled lobster?” It just made the vampire groan. He only had one warning label and it read specifically _no prolonged direct sunlight_. 

But Sypha’s chilly fingers helped ease the heat, and he whispered her a generous thanks. She brushed a wet curl from his forehead as Trevor spoke, “Do you think people have noticed the lordling is missing yet?” 

Adrian flicked open his eyes to point them at Trevor, a dull and tired warning that just ended up in a shrug. “Probably, though I’m more surprised gardeners haven’t discovered us yet.” he yawned, “Perhaps my father ate all of them.” No one else seemed to find his addition amusing.

He could have lived without the ice from the Speaker but he leaned into her for selfish reasons, adoring the proximity after such a vivid dream. Maria had been long gone for years now, leaving him missing a simple touch. It was wholly inappropriate but he continued to unbutton his shirt until the fabric was nearly hanging off of him, so drained from the heat, he hoped she didn’t mind. He was too tired to notice her warm blush. 

“Trevor,” Adrian muttered, upset that he acknowledged the man so casually. “There’s a water pump across the trees, if it’s alright—”

“I’ll get it, one second,” the Belmont didn’t even argue, heading right through the rows of plants as if they were old friends. He could never admit that the action made his chest warm in other ways. 

Sypha smiled, “See? Everyone can be friends.” Adrian chuckled, making sure that their eyes met.

“Genuinely Sypha, I dearly appreciate this. And I apologize for the situation.” 

She smiled, cupping his face with her chilled hand, this gesture much more intimate. “Do not apologize. It is what friends are for.” He didn’t even have time to respond because Belmont had come striding back with a small water pitcher, his shirt laces equally as undone. Sypha cooled the pitcher in her hands for a few moments before Adrian gulped the whole thing down. 

He muttered a thanks to Trevor, sighing with relief, “Now. How do we leave without causing a scandal?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm having a lot of fun with the slow burn aspect of this, and pitting Alucard and Trevor against each other at every turn. Anyway, I hope all you guys are doing well with situations as they are right now. Stay safe and stay home <3  
> -Game themes from Symphony of the Night in this chapter include Maria, who was a character that helped Alucard in the game. A lot of people ship them and you know what that worked out perfectly for this story.


	6. Lady Karma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Or the one with more ridiculous family

“Must you heave so loudly?” He hissed at the man behind him in the old servant’s passage. Sypha had made her exit through the door to the gardens, Adrian and Trevor taking the old pathways from his mother’s lab. It was narrow and dark, but refreshingly cool. He had used to scamper through the winding passages when he was younger, the twists and turns now memorized. 

“‘M not heaving,” muttered the Belmont. “Perhaps you’re just not used to a human’s breathing.” 

If Trevor could see him in the dark he would have the image of Adrian’s eyes rolling so hard they nearly popped off and fell down the hall. They were slowly heading upwards, towards the Belmont’s quarters and Adrian would move on from there to his own room to get changed and slip into the events of the day. All of it sounded seamless in his mind, but he knew that something was going to snag, just as his coat pulled on a nail and jerked him back. Trevor bumped into him without grace, swearing in surprise. “The hell?” 

Adrian growled, ripping the coat from the wall with the unceremonious sound of thick fabric tearing, “I didn’t do it on purpose, you oaf.” 

“You still have servants, so why don’t they use these,” questioned the man. It made Adrian give a hushed laugh. 

“Do you believe that staff shouldn’t be seen, Belmont?” 

“That’s not—”

Be quiet!”

Trevor growled instead, keeping his voice low, “That is not what I said.” The blond laughed because he knew that wasn’t what the Belmont meant but it was fun to rile him up anyway. It was almost dangerous, daring the hunter to hunt him. Adrian refused to admit how entertaining it could be, playing cat and mouse. They had reached a fork that he knew Trevor couldn’t see in the level of darkness. 

He hummed, taking the man’s hand to lead him through the right turn, lest he lose a Belmont in the walls. There was a rumbling chuckle behind him that echoed in the empty hall. 

“You can let go now.” He hadn’t even noticed that he was still gripping on the man’s hand until Trevor mentioned it. Adrian promptly dropped their hands, ducking beneath a rafter and mildly hoping that the Belmont wouldn’t see it. 

“Apologies, I have to remember that I am, in fact, _not_ dealing with a toddler.” But even Adrian could tell that the words had no venom, practically able to hear the brown haired man’s smile behind him. 

“If you want me to hold on to you like a fair maiden on your stallion then all you had to do was ask.” 

That time Adrian did stop in his tracks, letting the man bump into him. He wondered just how much Trevor could see in the darkness. He was sure that all his pale features were the brightest thing, especially his eyes. He knew that because Trevor was peering right up at them, mischief from head to toe. Fine, Adrian was tired, he had had a very long day and this game wasn’t about to end with Trevor winning. 

He backed the Belmont up against the stone, enclosing him with his height and the arms he positioned by the man’s head. Perhaps he could grasp it now, Adrian’s unwillingness to be toyed with. Or at least, with the intention of Adrian bending like a hapless damsel. He was very much not a fan of bending without extensive persuasion. 

“Is the flirting your way of pissing on me because of Miss Sypha?” Adrian cocked his head to the side, interested in the other’s response. 

Trevor laughed, shifting around with an angry countenance that Adrian could smell the falsehood of. “You honestly think I’m jealous?” 

“Mhmm, I wholeheartedly think you are jealous, Trevor Belmont.” They were close again, close enough to know that Trevor’s heartbeat was the loudest thing in the entire hall, his heavy breaths coming in a close second. Maybe Trevor just heaved, and didn’t know the difference between that and a delicate breath. He was very sure that the Belmont simply didn’t know the meaning of _delicate_. 

“Perhaps I just like the look on your stubbornly proper face,” he grumbled between Adrian’s caged arms. 

The blond narrowed his eyes, had he not smoked the medicine the night before the other man’s pulse would be driving him up the wall. Luckily, there was only a wanting taste in his mouth. “A bit dangerous for you Belmont, to be flirting with _Dracula’s_ son. You’re just asking for trouble.” 

Ah, and there was the knowing smile on his smug face, “I always do.” He lent up to ghost his lips over Adrian’s ear, hair tucked behind. “What would that father of your’s think if he saw you like this? Sneaking around all night with vampire hunter? Do you think that would disappoint him?” 

He hoped the Belmont couldn’t hear the hitching in his breath as he listened to his words, the biting of his cheek to prevent any anger from spilling out. _Was it really anger_ , he had to ask himself. Adrian couldn’t tell, only knowing that it made him want to crush the Belmont against this wall. Instead he settled for wrapping thin fingers around his neck carefully. 

“I can assure you,” he hissed through clenched teeth, “if anyone’s ancestors should be dissapointed with them, it’ll be yours after getting hard for a vampire trapping him alone and defenseless.” 

He could have pretended not to notice the other man’s stiffening arousal, but when hard cards needed to be played Adrian was never afraid to use them to win. So he let go of the Belmont, heading farther down the hallway, wondering if he was going to follow. The door to the hall his rooms were on was at the end of the passage anyway, so Adrian just propped open the door with his foot, spilling light across the Belmont still seething on the wall. The other man's pulse was just as loud far away as it was up close. Adrian turned to leave when the man finally spoke, stopping him in his tracks.

"Happy birthday Alucard." 

And then the blond let the door slam behind him,

She didn’t look out of place in her bedrobes, as most of her family was dressed similar; crowded into the breakfast parlor on the first floor. It was a late breakfast being served based on the events planning to take place the rest of the day. 

“Lord Adrian’s birthday,” spoke a cousin to another across the room. Even at the mention of his name Sypha snapped her head to the side, croissant mid-chew. She quickly went back to her plate, realizing that no one had been speaking to her. She was in a daze, probably from lack of sleep, and with the sleep she got it was nowhere near the most comfortable of resting places. Somehow though, also not the worse. Thank Trevor Belmont for his fuzzy boots and the vampire for his coat as a pillow. 

No one had mentioned her lack of presence in the morning, it’s not like she didn’t already have an answer prepared. She was always prepared, for anything. Except, when she wasn't. When Trevor Belmont appeared in the gardens, or her handsome companion’s worry in the greenhouse. Half of her was still convinced it hadn’t happened, but then she remembered the heat on his skin and her blurry consciousness defiant on fixing his burn.

“Sypha,” her grandfather entered the parlor and strode over to her. “Sypha, I’ve been told that you were absent from your bed this morning. Is everything alright my dear?” 

She nodded, maybe nodded too much, “Yes. Delightful. I just took a trip through the garden.” 

“For hours?”

She blinked, pointing the croissant towards her grandfather, “Big garden, have you tried the pastries?” 

On her way up towards her room, she couldn’t help but lose herself in thoughts from the night before. And even further back, memories of Trevor in the tavern. People worried so much about her own dignity that it was beginning to irritate her. She had never been afraid to take care of herself, and that included taking care of her own wants as an adult. The Belmont had been... _thrilling._ The hunt was exhilarating, getting to use her magic so unabashedly. And an outsider who didn’t mind? The rugged appearance she could enjoy besides the smell. It had all been perfect. But perfect things end, and her train moved out the morning after and she was expected to help pack up. They left each other, happily she thought. 

But then he didn’t remember her, and when he did he _apologized_. She was nothing short of crushed. Maybe things hadn’t been so perfect at all. Walking up the stairway, a large window offered her a view of the garden with the greenhouse in the distance. Sypha sighed, exhaustion seeping through her body. She was ready to get out of these robes and into a bed for once. After all the traveling, one night in a featherdown bed was all it took for her to get addicted to the feeling of a mattress. 

There was a familiar face as she entered the hallway, one also from Braila. It was the other Belmont. She smiled at Sypha as they stopped to greet one another, “Miss Belnades. Good morning.” 

“Good morning as well,” Sypha paused, trying to pull the woman’s name from the depth of memories, “Nadine.” 

The brunette smiled, features so remarkably similar to Trevor’s, she was a charming woman herself. “It’s been so long, but a pleasure to meet your train again. I’m sorry if my brother caused any trouble last night.”

Sypha’s brows shot to her forehead, heart beginning to thunder. “Trouble?” she tried not to waver.

“Yes, after you two spoke at the party last night he made one of his dramatic exits in what I’m assuming was anger.” 

“Oh,” Sypha breathed a stalled breath. “The soiree. Yes. It’s not a worry.” Thankfully that’s all she had been speaking about. And not about how they had collapsed on the floor in a pile of limbs, she was pretty sure that her and a vampire’s hands were intertwined most of the night.

The woman had a generous smile, half reserved just like Trevor’s. “Don’t pay him too much attention if he’s drunk. Not exactly enjoying this whole event.” 

Sypha shrugged, “I’ll keep that in mind, but it’s quite nice to see you all again.” Nadine nodded, the tails of her coat brushing the floor, chocolate hair plaited back with a piece of red ribbon. 

“Were you heading to breakfast?” She gestured towards the stairs that Sypha had just climbed. Explaining that she had just returned from the parlor, Nadine nodded. “Oh well if you were heading this way, they’ve extra copies of this week’s paper in that study.” 

Some reading didn’t sound too bad, but neither did a nice long nap on a pleasant mattress. “Thank you, I should have to go look.”

Nadine bowed in the masculine fashion, much more polite than her counterpart, “It’s been delightful speaking with you again, Miss Belnades. I look forward to seeing you again this evening.” 

She nodded graciously, “A pleasure of course, Miss Belmont.” When the woman descended, Sypha let out the breath she had been holding, relief in her chest. She wasn’t cut out for sneaking around, and would much prefer if she was allowed to follow up on her whims without worry of reputation. Thankfully, her bed was quite welcoming with no comments on her whereabouts the night previous, and she had to appreciate that.

Adrian wished he could find Hector. 

Apologize for his actions. Fix the sinking pit in his stomach. He was laying on his bed, facing a ceiling of stars and wondering how he could have done worse for himself. He couldn’t have, was the answer. His hands ran over his face, the skin slowly healing on it’s own but for now he’d be pink. Guilt bled with regret in his chest. He shouldn’t have cornered Trevor like that. He should have controlled himself and now here he was, replaying it in his mind like a fool. Because it seemed the only decisions he was able to make recently were foolish ones. 

Maybe people do get more foolish as they age for he certainly was.

There was a knock at the door, and he called for them to come in. Sitting up, his mother snuck in and was followed closely by his father. She had a large smile on her face, and his father smiled just about as much as he ever did. “Good afternoon,” his mother mused, a small wrapped box in her hands. 

“Good afternoon,” he smiled back despite how tired he was. She came and sat on the edge of his bed, his father just standing. 

“I didn’t expect to see you at breakfast this morning anyway, I know you were attending the second parlor’s guests all night.” 

He moved to the edge of the bed to sit next to her, thankful that there was an accidental excuse for him, “I do apologize still.” 

It was normal for his parents to come in and bring their own gifts so early in the day. Away from everyone else like a small family should. A brief blink between all the events planned, he couldn't thank them enough just for this. Their moment, the way it should have been all along. His mother flipped around his uncombed hair absently, making a displeased face but making no comment. 

“Since your mother let slip the trip we’ve planned, our proudest gift is already given but,” his father pulled another small ribboned box from his coat pocket, “there are still these that she kept to herself.” 

Lisa gave her husband a glare after the comment, but no malice in her eyes. “See I managed not to ruin _everything._ ” She placed her box in Adrian’s hands first, “Here, mine is wrapped better.” 

His father scoffed and Adrian tried to keep back his smile. He had missed his parents like this. The box was wrapped in thin blue paper that tore away like air. “Oh, mother.” 

Laid in the delicate box was a carefully placed set of paints and a bundle of brushes atop a stack of paper. The red handles of simple brushes, and little twine that bundled the pigments together—all of it meticulous. He hugged his mother close, trying to keep all the emotions behind his face. If this moment with his family was all that ever happened, well he couldn’t have asked for more. She embraced him, careful not to knock the box down. 

There was water pooling in her eyes that she was trying to keep back. “They’re watercolors with East Asian pigments, and the paper was imported from Japan. All traditionally used. We thought, well _I_ thought, you could use them on the trip. Perhaps practice a new style of work.” 

Adrian nodded, fingers brushing over the creme paper, “Yes. Of course. Mother this is wonderful. Thank you so much.” 

His father cleared his throat, nudging the box towards his son without seeming desperate. His father loved giving gifts, and in particular loved giving the _best_ gift. There was more than one occasion when he traveled weeks just to find the perfect present for Lisa in some remote center of the world just because he had to top her gift from last year. Adrian set the box of supplies aside, accepting his father’s exquisitely decorated box; all brought together with a golden ribbon. No one would believe that Adrian got all his creative instincts from his father, because Vlad would never let anyone know it about him. But _he_ knew, just one more aspect of his father that only they were privy to. 

Adrian undid the ribbon carefully so it could be reused, and lifted the lid of the velvet box. It was a book, English and Japanese characters embossed on the front. His fingers carefully carded through the soft pages, “A language book?” 

His father shrugged, “My more extravagant gift was already—”

“Ehem,” his mother cleared her throat.

“—delightfully provided,” he corrected. “But I had hoped that perhaps you would like to study the language before we traveled. Even I must admit that I'm not fluent.” 

He chuckled, looking up at his father, “Thank you. I appreciate it very much, Father.” 

The man’s mustache twitched as he nodded, “Of course. Your studies have always been important to you.” Adrian rolled his eyes, knowing his father couldn’t let just one moment pass without somehow making it about education. 

Lisa lent over to peer at the book, “Mhmm, was it imported?” Her question was meant to rub her husband the wrong way. And responding exactly as she expected the man scoffed, arms crossing.

“Please, of course it was.” 

Lisa just hummed again, playful disapproval. “Well, isn’t that delightful.” 

Adrian sighed, a breathy laugh almost. How have things strayed so far? He was tuned out of his parent's lighthearted bickering, mind in the distance. 

"So?" His mother pointed her words at him, waking him with surprise. 

"Pardon?"

"Lunch, Adrian." His father grumbled, "Before we all lose our heads this evening."

He swallowed, tried to pretend that he was well rested, "Of course yes. I'll be down in a minute. Let me change." His long night coat wasn't actually all that long anymore, the hem barely reaching his ankles. Perhaps it wasn't all that bad that they had ordered some new clothes. 

He was in a simple day coat instead when he strolled down to the family parlor, windows heavily stained blue, making the room all violet and green. His father was resting back in his chair away from the sun, book floating while his fingers twiddled with a small machine. His mother was similarly occupied by her experiment journal and a dusty volume. Relief continued to wash over his body at the sight so familiar. At the sight of home.

He plucked a newspaper from the large table, wondering if human society had noticed an uptick in things dark and mysterious over the last few days. His favorite parts of the paper were the wildlife reports, that and the weather predictions. Adrian took his seat on the extended love seat right by the blue window, the room nearly dark enough for candlelight. And for the remainder of the day, the Tepes family sat and read.

" _Trevor…Trrreeeevoooooor._ Hey, you fucking shabbaroon, wake up!"

He grumbled, hugging his pillow tighter against him and hoping the nagging voice would pass. It didn't and his sister promptly rolled him out of bed with strength that should have been illegal. He landed with a thud, entirely on his ass with no blanket to protect him from the stone floor. “UGhhh, Naddie!” 

But she was already too far away for any of his angry thrashes to reach her, tittering laugh upon the couch. He glared at her over the bed, and he assumed the sound alerted the rest of their merry band because Rafael and Callie burst through with weapons at the ready. Trevor wasn’t pleased at the look of disappointment they provided after seeing him half naked on the floor, what if a vampire had pushed him off? Maybe then they would care.

“Lord, Trevor are you day drinking again?” Callie’s arms were crossed and her hair half done for the impending ball. If she was already getting ready then how late was it really? It was hard to judge the sun with all the fucking stained glass. Look, now he was angry at windows. What a wonderful day to get pushed out of bed. 

“No, just unfortunately related to a physical embodiment of Hell,” He hauled himself up, bed sheets around his waist for a little bit of modesty. 

Nadine gave a pretty little bow in response, “At your service. Maybe next time don’t sleep until dusk.” 

“Its not,” Trevor squinted at the window again, “well. Shut up. I was tired.”

Rafael was leaning on the threshold of their room, mirroring his sister. “I would bet so, where’d you sleep last night?” 

Their sisters mused in tandem, making Trevor roll his eyes and look for some sleeping pants. “Trevor out of his bed? Who’s the unlucky fellow?” 

Nadine chuckled, lounging on the couch like a fucking cat, “I bet it’s that little red Speaker. She was all sorts of flustered in the hall this morning.” 

“Oh,” Rafael laughed along with her, “So so, Trevor. Her bedroll made for two, then?” 

God if only he had something to throw at them, but it was between a priceless lamp and a priceless statue and neither Trevor could afford to replace. So he growled, lacing up his pants and throwing the bed sheets back on the mattress, “There’s no fellow, or _fella_.” He pointed his words at Nadine. “Just took a walk that's all.” 

But his chorus line continued to snicker, Callie was taming her curls with pins and pearls in the midst of conversation. “Anyone get a glimpse of the guest of honor today? I heard somewhere the man was pinker than rose. Imagine forgetting to avoid the sun.” 

Nadine hummed, “I only heard talk that he wasn’t supposed to be seen till the ball. You may need more credible sources, darling.” Callie rolled her eyes, dressing robe embroidered with the Belmont crest. 

Rafael just sneered at the mention of Alucard, a heavy look on his face. “I can’t wait to see him get a piece of you tomorrow,” he was speaking towards Trevor. “Fucking spoiled ass, man was missing from his own soiree yesterday, did you notice?” 

Nadine flicked her eyes towards her twin, the both of them sharing a knowing glance that their cousin’s couldn't read. She shifted, looking back to Rafael, “I hadn’t noticed. Maybe he just slipped out for a drink or two. I’m sure all the little mistresses are tilting their necks towards the lordling.” 

“He is quite a handsome sight, isn’t he?” Callie grinned, fingers working without a mirror to decorate her hair. “I can’t wait to see how many proposals he gets after tonight, poor man will be drowning.” 

Rafael recoiled at his sister’s affection towards the vampire, noticeably moving away. He started collecting his own clothes for the ball, laying them out haphazardly. “He’s a monster. Just like all the others. Leon Belmont wouldn’t be so pleased to see his granddaughter steering her appreciation towards a demon. We should be here for a hunt, _not_ in the man’s honor.” 

“Raf,” Trevor couldn’t help but interject, “you’re talking about killing a man for his heritage. Bit hypocritical in our case, don’t you think?”

The burning of the Belmont manor some centuries ago had left most of them in hiding, until numbers could be brought back to reclaim the estate. By then the Church had a looser grip on the laymen, and danger of another raid was gone. It didn’t mean that every once and a while, the Belmont crest was frowned upon in the world, their family having been excommunicated so publicly. Trevor had received a good amount of shit for his last name, and he knew that the rest of them had as well. It was a cruel world, to monster and man, he supposed.

Nadine seemed to be waiting for Rafael to explode before she tentatively continued conversation. Callie seating herself by her side, “Oh c’mon Naddie, let me do your hair!” His twin ducked out of the woman’s excited grasp.

“No thank you, I don’t wish to look like the bottom of shore.” 

Callie had her mouth agape at the comment, but it was all in good fun. A bit of entertainment as Trevor fiddled with the unnecessary clothing for the ball. A ball of all things. There was a reason they didn’t get invited, they may be a strong house in the country but traditions like this weren’t their strong suit. Instead of a more docile education, the woman in his family learned to kill, just like the rest of them. They spent their childhoods together, tearing down dummy monsters and staking sandbags with fangs. He knew every entry in their family bestiary by the time he was ten. High society was never meant for the Belmonts. 

His coattails were boarderred in red, gold trimmings on the cuffs and collars. Boots that were handed down from his father, and a little too tall for him, but polished to perfection by Trevor’s own hands. The creme shirtwaist was tucked into the highest trousers he had ever worn, making him feel all bits of frivolous. He slipped on a family ring just for good measure, their crest shining up at him. His hair was useless, barely even long enough to tie back, leaving restless strands hanging from his face. 

“Wait!” Callie stopped him as he was about to finish off the tie in his hair, she darted out and in of the room, carrying a red ribbon. “Must keep us all matching, how else will they know who we are,” she joked and bowed off his hair with the silk. 

“See,” his cousin grinned at his reflection in the mirror, “A vision to behold. That lady Speaker will be in absolute awe. She'll be so pleased to see you without stains!” 

Trevor rubbed his face, wishing to an utter extreme, that they had never arrived. It took the girls longer to get done up, and by that time their uncle was already drunkenly ushering them out before they showed up fashionably late once more. Nadine didn’t wear a gown, just a smart blouse and an unpettiecoated skirt. Callie had absolutely slipped some pearls in her intricate braids but he wasn’t going to let that secret out. For his cousin had pulled out every piece of finery she owned for the night, musing happily that they were finally doing what they should have been doing all along, going to a fancy party with fancy people to show off their fancy clothes. Trevor was happy at least one of them was enjoying the night, as she trotted through the halls with her blue pearly gown, no one could have guessed she was the oldest of the cousins. 

He sighed, dreading the music that was approaching, he had fallen asleep in anger after he and Alucard’s conversation in the dark passageway and was doing his best to pretend like it never happened. But as they slowly came closer to the party, his stomach continued to sink. There wasn’t much running away now. 


	7. Lord Alucard of Wallachia

_No one noticed the poison being slipped into Vlad Dracula’s cup, not on a night like this._

The ballroom stole her breath away, dancing with electric lights and alive with music. Silver candelabras were wired on the walls, and a chandelier with intricate filigree bloomed from ceilings as high as the stars. The people were just as much decorations in the room as anything else, shimmering silks and delicate tailoring made people move like water beneath blue light. The largest windows in the castle opened up to the most gorgeous view of a freshly trimmed garden, this one not for any scientific use—only for beauty. Starlight passed through the empty clouds, a crescent moon beginning it’s journey in the sky. All bathed in the light were people, more than she had seen the past few days, for local people were invited as well. There was narent an empty space outside the dance floor, which no one occupied yet as only casual music was playing so far from a band that looked decently undead. She was struck by all the gowns and finery worn, the vampires distinct from anyone else with much more daring fashion; clothing that would get a regular person very much in trouble. But all normalcy was lost here, it was all fairy tale gorgeous, a kind of lovely you only found in dreams.

Sypha was swallowed up by awe and turned into stone—utterly entranced. Her cousin had to push her to move as all feeling below her had disappeared. Perhaps this was magic, because how could it be real? Yet she knew it wasn't, this was just _money_. Her family dispersed, mingling with familiar faces and leaving her to do the same. She was hesitant to approach any other women, feeling starkly out of place. She was wearing her one and only gown, one that did not adhere to the fashion of the decade unlike many of the high class ladies she was surrounded by. It was simple, tied around her neck and with a few layers for shape near the bottom, mirroring the geometric cuts of her people. Lucky her arms were wrapped up to shield her skin from the judgmental gaze of some old crone, modesty still of some importance to her in the most form fitting dress she owned. 

So she floated, attempting to find comfort in the swarm. Wine was being passed around on silver platters from servers, and she snagged a glass of white to distract herself. Sypha knew exactly what she was searching for, the faces of last night’s companions. She didn’t expect Adrian to be there yet, he’d probably have some sort of grand entrance—but Trevor, she wouldn’t mind finding him for some characteristic snide. 

Eyes raking over the crowd, Sypha only found a few students that she had befriended earlier. But she noticed Hector not too far away, and she had been dying to ask him about forging. Specfically a very adorable, blue eyed puppy. So Sypha wove between the guests, careful not to spill the comfort-wine that she had decided was going to be her anchor for the night. The Belmont better hurry up because he would be quite proud of her coping skills. 

Hector’s silver eyes lit up with recollection upon seeing her break through the crowd. There was a petite woman on his arm, strikingly beautiful but no doubt vampiric. “Miss Belnades.”

She gave a curt bow, “Its good to see you again, I don’t believe we’ve met.” The red haired woman tilted her head with too wide of a smile. 

“Lenore, ruler of Styria,” her voice chimed like a bell but set something off in Sypha’s mind. “You are the Speaker magician.” 

Sypha blinked, surprised that a woman of her status knew her. “Yes, one of them. Styria is...north. I believe we’ve traveled through the foothills before.” 

“Oh how delightful. You must come again, my sisters and I would be glad to host you at our palace any time.” It was nothing but polite, her words, but the grip she had on Hector’s arm made Sypha uneasy. 

“Of course, when we head north next,” Sypha offered, taking a responsibly small sip from her wine. Unfortunately it was poor taste to swig when you needed to. “I was curious, Lord Tepes told me that you devil forge, sir.” 

Hector’s brows hit his hairline, and it might have been from the tightened grip the woman had on his bicep. “Yes, I do, though it’s not quite my forte. Still very inexperienced.” He sounded unsure, voice wavering as he spoke.

Sypha smiled, “I met your dog last night, Cezer. Absolutely marvelous. Do you study veterinary to assist in your forging?” 

There was an honest smile on his face, interrupted by Lenore leaning up to whisper in his ear. The action alone made Sypha uncomfortable, not to mention the blatant display in public. The Speaker shifted her footing, staring at the rim of her glass. Lenore gave a curtsy after she was done whispering, exiting the conversation in favor of who knows what.

Hector gulped, fiddling with a small black band on his finger, “Uhm, yes. Partly.” The man took a drink from his own glass, “Though I do wish to continue assisting animals, alive or passed. It’s my hope to never see a beloved childhood pet go forever.” 

“That is a noble hope,” she responded kindly. He seemed flattered by her words, eyes cast downwards. She didn’t want to intrude but questions were nagging her. “I have no wish to be inappropriate, but are you and Lady Lenore bound?” 

Once again the man looked shocked, more like awoken from a trance really. “Oh, oh that. Erm. We are not presently engaged, no.” 

Her lips parted in a soft _oh_ , wondering what significance there was to the ring on his wedding finger. Not as though she would have a chance to ask, as he was already shifting the subject. “You have not picked up your dance card.” 

“Pardon, my what?” 

“Your dance card, they are displayed by the door. Most guests have arrived and already written. I’d be wary if a Mister Rinaldo requests the Scotch Reel, he has licentious footwork.”

“Ah,” Sypha muttered, looking back to where they had come from. This was a custom she was not at all familiar with, and not in the slightest gladdened by. Reluctantly she made her way over to a table with intricately written name cards, delicate little lists with blank spots for names to be written. Some cards were full, she noticed that the nursing student Titiana’s had no free space, and others empty. Her's was unfortunately in the middle, with a few dances open. 

The first one was a formal dance that she had barely been taught growing up, and a Master Eggart had requested that one. Sypha scoffed, placing the card around her wrist and feeling no regret as she downed the rest of her wine right there in front of Madam Randu.

Trevor noticed her right away, standing alone by the card table. She was enchanting, made his posture slip and his mouth fall open. Her dress was Speaker blue, white patterns he’d seen on their sashes bordered the layers of her gown. Her sharp shoulders were pronounced by the dress tying up at her neck, tan skin as smooth as sweet tea. Sypha caught his stare immediately, excitedly giving a small curtsy. Blush had risen on her cheeks, making the red of her lips even brighter.

My god she was gorgeous.

“Belmont, I’m so happy to see you.” 

_She was?_

“You are?” He must have looked as dumb as he sounded but the woman just nodded. 

“I’m hoping you’re the only other person here who doesn’t know how to dance.” 

Trevor bent his brow, “Careful there you may wound my pride.” He _did_ know how to dance. One of the only formal things that they had learned growing up, and surprise surprise—he was fairly good at it. “Perhaps I can help, are there any you’re unclear on?”

The Speaker bit her cheek and displayed the dance card along her wrist, “Well. This one.” Trevor nodded as she pointed, and then pointed to the one right below it, “And this one. Oh, and these two. Perhaps also this one.” 

“Miss Sypha, you’ve pointed to most of the night.” He was leaning over her shoulder to look at the card, and he brought himself away in fear that perhaps it would be too close for an event like this. She didn’t seem to notice his brief worry, only slumping her shoulders in defeat. 

“This is why Speakers shouldn’t be invited to parties. I can dance around a fire pit till I drop similar to a fly. This,” she gestured to the room, “is out of my world.” 

Trevor plucked a wine goblet from the passing staff, clinking it against her empty one, “Cheers, Miss Belnades, this is going to be hell.” 

Her laugh was interrupted by the abrupt cessation of the music, causing a quiet murmur to ripple through the crowd. He and his Speaker shared a look of confusion before the grand doors on the other side of the ball swung open. 

There stood Vlad Dracula and his wife. The vampire seemed beaming, black coat lined with a blood red satin that caught the light even from back where Trevor stood. Doctor Tepes was in a similar maroon gown, wide shoulders and neatly rounded sleeves, hair bundled with thick iron curls. Silence continued to fill the room, but the head of the House rose his hand anyway, “Gracious guests, treasured family, and must appreciated colleagues. It is my pleasure to welcome you to our son’s twenty-first birthday, whether you be staying here or only attending tonight. Please welcome your guest of honor, my son Adrian Fahrenheit Tepes, Alucard of Wallachia, Heir to the House of Dracula.” 

If his parents were dressed impeccably, then Alucard was fashioned from kings. His fresh black coat trailed the floor with exquisite gold trim and filigree, the boots that hugged his legs were adorned with golden toes. The haunting beauty of his face was framed by a high collar, and creme cravat. From back here, Trevor could still see nearly every inch of his well trimmed garments, black pants with black coat and shoes dressed him similar to his father. The fit was tight against his narrow waist but only did more to make his shoulders look imposing. Unlike any other event, the man’s white-gold hair was tied up, natural tendrils of curl cascading down from the bundle. Short pieces danced around his sharp face, drawing attention to his entrancing and unusual golden eyes. 

He hoped that no one noticed him catching his breath after seeing Alucard presented so stately, he turned his head town to hide any lingering surprise on his face. The crowd had erupted in applause, even Sypha, and his boneless hands deftly followed suit. He could only imagine the amount of distaste Rafael must be feeling right now, his sister do doubt swooning at the image. Well, Trevor supposed he was heading down the road of swooning if people kept up like this. Alucard shook hands across the ball, music back with a fervor. Trevor glanced to Sypha, who was hopelessly following the man with her eyes. 

“Distracted by pretty things, Miss Sypha?” 

She gave him a toothy smile, nudging him with her shoulder, “Oh and you aren’t, Belmont? You cannot lie and tell me he is not a vision.” 

Trevor glanced to the man, pale skin seeming to glow beneath electric candles. He thought back to the way those eyes had looked at him this afternoon, when they were alone in the hallway. All had been dark but the vampire, and his precious metal sight. Something had set him off about the man, made his palms sweaty and throat dry up as he was pressed against the cold stone. Trevor could not pretend he was feeling akin to that right now, though he did his best to not let it show.

“Man dresses up quite nicely, I suppose.” 

Sypha shrugged away his aloofness, sighing at her dance card, he noticed a few empty slots near the beginning and took it upon himself to be a gentleman tonight. Turning to the Speaker, he bowed, “If you’ll do me the honor, Miss Belnades, of the second and third dance?” 

Pretty lips parted in surprise, her hand over her heart, “My my Belmont how very proper. It would be my pleasure, so long as you do not mind a bit of stepping on toes.” 

Trevor smiled at the woman, “What a dream it must be, to get my toes trampled on by one such as yourself.”

She continued her grin, chuckling and if Trevor squinted that was a rare blush creeping up on her. “You truly are part of aristocracy, I could have never fathomed.” 

“If it is what I must do to earn the affections of a pretty lady,” Trevor smiled sadly, “Then it is what I must do.” 

Sypha blinked at him, he could only guess that it was shock decorating her soft features. She gulped, and shifted her weight and he suddenly wished that he could take back all his words; never intending to upset her. Panic had begun to rise in his chest when she finally whispered, barely audible over the music, “Oh Trevor. You are mistaken, you’ve _always_ had my affections.” 

The Belmont was poised to respond when the music struck up the chords to the first dance, her attention being diverted. Sypha handed him her glass, “Forgive me, I’ve been requested.” He nodded, pain in his chest at seeing her go. _Always?_ Trevor kept repeating it in his head as he watched her go, dancers all lining up in neat rows to prance around each other with intricate footwork. Every circle around he hoped that she glanced over towards him, because his eyes never left her. 

Of course until he was pulled into conversation by Nadine. 

“So wouldn’t you guess it, there’s _two_ waltzes tonight.” She flicked her dance card up at him, and sure enough near the end there were two waltzes slotted. “And I thought that vampire society would be more old-fashioned. I’m starting to believe our education was atrocious.” 

Trevor hummed, “I will not be one to disagree and Naddie,” he brought the card closer to his face (consequently dragging her wrist along with it), “Ysbella Ardlean has requested the Mazurka with you?” His sister snatched her hand away from a now very amused Trevor, “Is there something going on between you and Miss Ysbella?”

Nadine huffed, sipping her wine, “Please, she’s very...high class, not my favorite personality trait. Though she does own three and a half villages near the west.” 

“Mhmm, the most important aspect when searching for a suitor, the money.” 

His twin rolled her eyes, “You and I both know very well we’re doomed to people who are unphased by blood.” 

That he did know, yet another tragedy of their lineage. Not many people could handle the lifestyle of rearing a child in such circumstances. Unsure of whether your spouse was going to be returning from a hunt in one piece. Their mother certainly didn’t like it, just stubborn enough to tolerate it. Trevor supposed that was the best he could hope for, unless. Well unless a certain Speaker who was fond of hunting herself decided to accept a proposal. 

Not like he would ever, he wasn’t the marrying type. Or the relationship type. Trevor much preferred the passion feasts of the strangers he’d meet on travels. The unabashed debauchery, both knowing they would never see each other again. Nothing to lose but themselves in the bed sheets of a tavern. That’s all his life would be, he could never offer anything domestic to one person. Even if that one person finally glanced over to him from her dance. 

“Ah ha,” Nadine grinned, looking like he had fallen into her trap, “There is something between you and her. _Is_ that where you were last night?” Her voice wasn’t demanding, just curious. 

Trevor pursed his lips, he could tell the truth and admit that he had fallen asleep in her company. But then his sister would be right and she just loved being right. Or he could tell the other truth and say no, he had fallen asleep with Alucard instead. Or he could lie all together, which seemed much more preferable. 

“No.” 

His twin scoffed, but left it at that, probably sensing the lie anyway. Alucard was taking part in the dance, partnered with a young seeming vampire lady, all polite smiles. Sypha seemed to be doing just fine with her footwork, her eyes switching between her feet and the other dancers’. Trevor lost track of just how long he stared, at both of them really. The noble air that Alucard carried wafted down from strong shoulders, he was drenched in poise from the curl at his forehead to gilded toes. Sypha seeming diametrically opposed with non traditional wear and a sense of blatant carelessness to her movements, not a worry in the world at how badly she danced but just how brightly others smiled. 

Nadine hooked her arm around his, squeezing it with a hug and a smile just as large, “I think she’s wonderful Trevor.” His sister's voice was utterly sincere, eyes so much like his own looking up at him with pride, “You would have my full support should anything continue.” 

He mustered up a thin smile, wishing he could hug his horrible demon of a sister, “Thank you, Naddie.”

She had walked off long before the dance ended, leaving Trevor to sip his drink and wonder. He was getting older, twenty-five and not even a particle of potential courtship as far as marrying went. Trevor supposed he wasn’t all that old, but Belmonts didn’t last very long in the grand scheme and Rafael was already presently engaged to a lovely baker’s daughter. Callie was handsome, but undesirable to any noblemen for union—for who could want to marry a woman with a profession, violent or not. And his sister well, she was much more afflicted with desires of the same sex than he, never having thrown a glance towards any man. The Belmont family rested on him and Rafael for now, and just like any other familial obligation—he loathed it.

Sypha floated over to him after the end of her dance, cheeks red from endless grinning. The Speaker plucked her glass from his hand in the downtime between the next song. “I was so terribly dreadful, did you see?” Normally any woman would be in tatters at the idea of subpar dancing, Sypha however appeared to find it amusing. 

Trevor nodded, watching her weave between guests to laugh with another Speaker. As his eyes drew over the crowd they stuck on Alucard every once and awhile, the blond looking back before they both glanced away. He chewed his lip, drank his wine, and waited for the next song by chatting with some stranger by his side. 

Nerves usually never bested the Belmont, but the strumming of the next song’s beginning caused his stomach to invert. He led Sypha to the dance floor with a delicate hand, the Speaker positioned in front of him. There was a smile on her face, as there always seemed to be. Trevor really was hopelessly undone for her. 

Adrian couldn't help but peer at Hector every now and then, the man hopelessly tied to Lenore. He followed her around like a dog, eyes just as wide. And then they would dance, positioning themselves far away from him and he had to wonder if that was her's or Hector's idea. It pricked him right beneath his ribs, an aching sort of pain. Friends he hadn't been privy to growing up, lone child on the entire estate. Hector had been the first and the only, and now he had lost him to some vampire with a pretty smile who paid him attention. If it wasn't rude, he would be slumping up against a wall wondering why everything was going so wrong. 

Even his mother had noticed the distance, concerned glares thrown from across the expansive room. He had never seen so many people fill it. Sure it was all the guests but there were open doors on the Tepes estate tonight, and villages far and wide had come to see the vampire ball. If there were only two pitchfork burnings tonight he would consider it a success. It also seemed that his mother was tossing glares as though she was trying to win a game of horseshoe. Not just at him but at his father mainly, her eyes forever narrowed at the man who once again was preoccupied by Striga. Her upset made him uneasy, and he chose to ignore it. 

The dance ended, and he bowed at the young man he had been dancing with, barely remembering his name. Down the line Hector and Lenore walked off together, their proximity downright promiscuous and Adrian wondered how far in Lenore had dug herself into his friend's brain. He noticed a familiar pair parting from the dance as well. Trevor had been another member in the club of glaring at him tonight, and Adrian did his best to not stare back. 

The man cleaned up, needless to say. Though he was nothing next to the absolute artwork that Sypha was, not with her slender and sharp shoulders, not with her fluid gown. Not with her smile. 

The third song was over and a brief break for the band was taken. Though no break from him, their event manager rushed up to him with a hunched posture and his schedule book in his hand, "Lord Tepes?"

Adrian addressed him, fully aware that no good could come from a nervous event planner. They'd pulled themselves off to the side and the short little gremlin adjusted his glasses, "You see, one of the cello players had injured his hand, not grievously but is in need of remission to play."

The blond blinked, "Has one of our doctors assistants taken a look? Is it a break or a strain, or a tear? My mother has some supplies in the staff room—" 

"No no," waved the gremlin with his gnarled hand, "No need to distract yourself from your own ball, Lord. It is however, my expert opinion that we make a new arrangement as to give him time to be tended to."

Adrian nodded, trying not to sound overly annoyed. _Obviously_ he would give the man time to recover. Rearrange the whole damn ball if he had to. Adrian never took it too lightly to see any of their employees hurt. Practically family after all. "Yes of course, we can cancel the rest of the dances if need be."

The gremlins gasped, "Lord Alucard we shall do no such thing!" He went back to scribbling on his papers, "I have moved the gifting time up after their official break, and moved the waltzes after the gifts and the final numbers should be able to remain in place."

He continued to nod, wondering if the man knew how little he cared of the order of things. Take it up with his father and then perhaps there would be a reaction. That is if the man ever stopped chatting with the Syrian sisters. He hadn't seen him at his mother's side since the entrance.

He left the gremlin to stress himself out with his scribbles and arrangements, making his way to Lisa and her sister. 

"Oh Adrian you look absolutely handsome tonight," spoke his aunt Theresa. He bowed politely, happy to see her. His mother's family didn't come around often, but it was always a pleasure when they did. His cousins were growing like weeds, but the youngest was still preciously small. Normally young children wouldn't be invited to a ball but this was a birthday party after all, and he would miss a chance at scooping up his five year old niece. 

The little blonde girl giggled in his arms as he spun her around, "Addy, you're old now!" 

His mother and Theresa both laughed, just as he laughed himself setting the girl back down, "Yes, that I am Miss Riley but if I remember correctly you've a birthday on the horizon."

The girl beamed with pride, "Seventeen days to be exact!"

"That is exact," he chuckled, crouched down at her level.

She nodded again, looking at her mother, "Ma'ma says that when I get older I can come here and learn like you do."

Theresa gave a nervous laugh, "Now dear we can't invite ourselves to other people's houses."

Lisa dismissed it, "No need to worry, you are absolutely welcome to come study with us any time Miss Riley."

His cousin ran off to brag to her siblings in the corner, playing around with one of the magicians who was staying with them, the old man making visions of animals and butterflies dance around the children.

"She's a lovely child, Theresa," his mother smiled. She and her sister conversed for a while, Adrian just thankful he had a relatively quiet spot away where no one bothered him. 

"And then, he barely told me how I looked tonight!" It was his mother’s strained voice, followed closely by Theresa.

“Oh how awful.”

Adrian briefly turned back into the conversation, “My father you mean?” And the two fair-haired women nodded, pursed faces so similar in their appearance and in the muscles of their angered emotions. His mother seeming to be trying to visually poison her husband across the ball room, conversing casually with Carmilla and Striga with no attention to an upset wife. 

“Been like that since Wednesday, when they arrived,” there was the most minor of hitches in her throat. And hitch, his mother did not. She was a resolute woman, a doctor with respect dripping down her shoulders. Adrian felt his shoulders slump, unbeknownst to her pain until now. Had Vlad really been ignoring her the whole time? And how could he not have noticed his own mother’s growing unease? Nothing seemed out of place when they had given him their gifts that afternoon, but perhaps there was more bite to those words than Adrian had interpreted…

Whatever disgruntled feelings his parents had towards each other, he could not feel between the two of them as the family was seated for the impromptu gifting. Murmurs traveled through the ballroom, gifts in the middle of dances? Unheard of. Adrian resigned himself to his chair, swallowing hard. It’s not like conventionality had ever been his family’s forte. 

The first to present were most of the village folk, their prized pig or a plantling from lands far away. Adrian accepted them all personally, taking the small trinkets any man, woman, or child gave him. His favorite so far was a little painting of the estate done by a young seamstress who really should pursue more artistic careers. Each one of them he gave a respectable bow, and sincere thanks. These would be the gifts he’d remember. It was easy to provide when you had everything, but the truth of a person is what they are willing to sacrifice when they already have so little. These were the people of his town, the people his servants bought bread from, cousins to his maids and friends to what he considered to be true family. This is what mattered.

Not when more affluent people began presenting, one of the first being Godbrand of Iceland, a rather annoying and bruteish vampire that had rubbed Adrian the wrong way anytime his father’s council convened. The flame haired man gave a deep, and rather dramatic bow, gesturing behind him. “For you, Alucard of Wallachia, I have had the most finely crafted river boat shipped to this country's shores. A fine boat fit for the river bordering this very estate.” 

Adrian quirked an eyebrow, one of Godbrand’s subordinates passing him an expertly carved oar to symbolize his gift. “Thank you, Godbrand that is quite thoughtful.” 

The vampire beamed, “Ah, it is of course stocked with the most delicious of Iceland’s women.”

Ah well, there went the very little respect Adrian had left for the man. 

The Stoians gifted a five bolts of expertly woven canvas for his paintings, the vampire prince of Spain provided an antique Chinese tea set (that he not quite subtlety alluded to, was converted for a much thicker drink), the Belmonts had already provided their much appreciated rapier. Adrien felt sort of deflated at that, half hoping Trevor would approach the throne with his trimmed up attire and offer him something entirely ridiculous like a freshly picked rose. It was a ridiculous thought, but interactions he had with the man had been on the very deepest end of ridiculous so far. 

The Speakers did offer something, but to Adrian’s surprise as they gathered on the empty floor in precise circles, hands clasped. Sypha gave him a proud little smile with a twinkle in her eye as she held the hands of her family and they began to sing. It was a beautiful composition, low humming resonating deep in his chest and he was sure that it was shaking the very bones of the castle as the chorus began to rise. The piece was something ancient, and potent, but Adrian tasted no magic on his tongue. For they were laying no spell or enchantment, just the humble quality of united souls; an underappreciated magic all on it’s own. 

The ballroom remained silent, in awe and respect of such a dignified presentation. Adrian fell into every note of the choral march, lost worry entirely as the united voices carried him far far away. No more parties, no more gossip. None of his parents fighting, and no conflicting Belmont's to pull at his gaze. Just a beauty that lifted towards a painted ceiling, echoed between the candles and the lamps. As the voices calmed, he was drawn reluctantly back to his seat. There was no moment of hesitation, his applause chasing after their song eagerly. The room soon followed in their appreciation and Adrian made his way to personally shake every one of their hands; bowing to the ladies. 

"That was magnificent," he shook the hand of the Elder, "I am in awe, you took the room's breath away."

And the old man smiled, "It is a tradition of the Codreii Speakers—for introduction of a new chapter in one's life. To wish you well, Adrian."

His head canted, missing the sound of his name. Everyone spoke to him with the utmost formalities now, and he could almost forget what it was like to just be _Adrian_. But he gave his most appreciative bow to Sypha, lingering just enough to emphasize his care. "You are wonderful singers, Miss Belnades. Has a lucky suitor already claimed your first waltz?"

Pink and round lips parted in surprise before blooming into a smile, "Unfortunately yes one has."

Adrian pinched his brows together, "Oh I see, unfortunate indeed that I have explicit permission to claim any dance I would like this evening—with any handsome Speaker that catches my attention." 

Her round cheeks reddened under the light as he offered his hand to escort her off the floor, delicate fingers softly grasped between his gloved ones, "Unfortunate indeed." Trevor was standing off on the edge of the crowd, his eyes peering intensely their way. 

Adrian turned her way, bowing softly and in full view of the Belmont. "Until the waltz, my lady," and the man's eyes continued to follow him as he strode back to his seat by his parents. His mother gave him a shifty grin at his escorting of the Speaker. 

"Not very subtle of you," she muttered as he sat back down. 

He continued the heavy eye contact with Trevor, trying to decipher what gears could be turning behind those blue eyes. His voice was quiet, "Wasn't intended to be…"

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Genuinely my sincerest apologies that this chapter is so fucking late like holy shit wow. uh i thought i could fix the ball into one chapter but uhm....that failed.


End file.
